


It's complicated.

by Arctic_Active



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Badass Lin Beifong, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Lin, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff, Injury Recovery, Lin is literally only really sweet to the reader and no one else, One Night Stands, Psychology, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:01:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 79,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28097328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arctic_Active/pseuds/Arctic_Active
Summary: As a criminal psychologist, you've been sent to Republic City to help with cases. With your years of experience in the Fire Nation - 3 and a bit exactly, you're 29 since last month and joined as soon as you turned 26 - Zuko transfers you to work under Chief Beifong. The switch was going to be a weird one. From working under a monarch to help with lowering crime rates by giving out the correct treatment to recovering criminals, to studying repeat offenders and helping the police track down criminals. You can't help but visit an old friend on your first day in Republic City. The situation you've put yourself into causes you to be hired by your favourite gambling man and danger devil.Meeting the Chief was one thing. The next thing happened to be the one night stand you both shared a month ago.This certain someone caught your eye and you've fallen for her. Hard.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Original Character(s), Lin Beifong/Original Male Character(s), Lin Beifong/Reader
Comments: 154
Kudos: 81





	1. Reinstated

**Author's Note:**

> Hi hi! I've been on Lin brainrot for a very long time and I need more fics to read so I made one.  
> I am a trans guy so reading all of those wlw fics made me dysphoric so I made my own >:)

——————◇◇◇——————

My rough hands grip the fine leather of the chair. I was faced with someone from my past. An old friend. It was definitely nerve wracking to see him again. He had already walked in and now headed for the seat in front of me. He dressed in a fine back suit, similar to my height but just that bit taller than me. 

_spirits. I still hate him._

"So y/n. I hope you don't mind meeting me here, I've got some dinner with a new girl after this." And he was a player now. Great. I fixed my black shirt to my body, moving down to dust some invisible crumbs off of my red slacks. It was nice to dress like this at least. 

"Cut to the chase, King. Why did you invite me over when it sounds like you're busy." I sighed. I had been over this process with him multiple times before, just as a driver to his robberies or even as a bodyguard to his club once. He used me as a psycho scapegoat, really. 

"I just wanted to catch up with my old buddy, eh? It's been well over two months." Something about his accent made you want to punt him. King leaned back in his seat, getting comfortable. 

_I can't believe I wasted parts of my own childhood with this man. He's a whole manipulative fuck._

"Okay, that's bullshit and you know it. It doesn't take a psychology degree to figure that one out." I crossed my arms as I leaned forwards, attempting to look more intimidating. The small scars along my shown skin kind of helped as I saw his stance change to stiffen. I tapped one of my fingers against my left arm and made myself horribly aware to the burn running around my arm. King had a similar one. 

King scoffed.  
"I need you to do a job for me, will you stop yapping on about living better than me. Spirits save me." King massaged his temples. I expected to annoy him. It was one of my specialties to be honest. 

"What is it then?" I gritted my teeth when I finished speaking, shutting my eyes for a moment before meeting his again. Even his eye colour was stupid to me. 

"I know you're working with the RCPD now so I want you to help take down some triads so we can become the biggest triad in the area. If you could keep us off file as well, that would be nice." It was my turn to massage my temples as he spoke. Like this wouldn't get me in trouble with the entirety of Republic City or anything. But I can't help it. This is the nature I was brought up in. 

My hand messes with my sleeve as I bring my hands into my lap.  
"I'll think about it, King." I get up and grab my suit jacket that had been slung over the back of the chair. 

As I get ready to leave, King issues one final warning.  
"Guard dog. Don't tell that Chief of yours. You know what'll happen if you do." There was a shift in the air, frankly, I did remember what would happen. It isn't nice to be burned, I know from personal experience, and what could happen if I snitch on my old triad? Everything. The sky would fall in on me while the spirits tear me limb from limb to leave me to die. I would be burned, decapitated and so much more. 

I gritted my teeth in ready to answer him as I fixed my jacket lapel.  
"Yes, King." I bowed my head slightly as I left. A woman walked by me as I did. As expected. I stepped out of the restaurant and into the open, looking back at it. The Manila Lounge. The bar they had was my favourite and it seemed the Chief's favourite as well. Even though I hadn't met her formally yet, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Spirits was she sexy... and strong... very capable woman... hot. My eyes found themselves lingering on the sign of the bar. I sighed and made my way over to my motorbike parked near it, starting it up. The cold crept up on me faster than I thought it would. 

_Oh boy would this be a long night._

——————◇◇◇——————

The garage door creaked as it opened. I thank myself on many occasions for being able to find a house with a garage. Paying for the house wasn't much of a problem but just cleaning the whole house every now and again was. My house consisted of two floors, the upstairs bedroom and the living quarters downstairs. Luckily, it wasn't affected by any of the spirit vines growing around the city. Only succumbing to a vine curled up in the garden. The door was easily enough to not open properly on the first try. I turned my key the wrong way. As soon as I figured out what I had done, I got in and kicked my shoes off in the front room. I made my way around the house. The first floor consisted of an open plan kitchen, a small dining table attached to it and the living room was surrounded by bookshelves. It was nice to get away from everything while reading or even making new notes on some psychology books I managed to grab throughout my career. My hands fiddled around the kitchen and took out some chamomile tea bags and honey. I was already ready for the sleepless night. As the tea steeped, I took off my shirt and jacket to place over the couch. 

_I'll clean that up later._

I was left to my own thoughts as the tea steeped.  
_New job tomorrow. New boss? No. Chief is supposed to work under me. I work for the royal family and she works for Raiko. I'm pretty sure Zuko outweighs Raiko._  
I lost my train of thought as it moved to the new duties I had. I was going to be spending some of my mornings in an interrogation room with a convicted criminal to further my own research. It was the terms agreed on by Chief and Zuko. I get to question and observe behaviours while I help out with her cases. Lin doesn't seem too bad. To me, she doesn't. The anger and stern brow of hers was obviously a front to me, the only way to work properly with her was to get to know her. And she's not that stern always, right? As long as I'm concerned, the night we had seemed to show a different side of her I don't think others saw. I was going to hold onto the last impression she made and see how it compares to the first time we meet. But. It's been a while.

The tea was ready. 

I sighed as I poured myself a cup and drank from it, letting the chamomile linger just a little longer against my tongue. I fixed my tank top slightly as it had wrinkled near the bottom and melted into the sweet embrace of the tea. It was extremely useful that mother used to own a tea shop as now I could make the perfect tea. I'm sure Zuko misses the tea chats we used to have. We'd finish a long day with some of the tea he brewed himself and sit and talk until either of us needed to leave. There were perks to being the Fire Lord's own psychologist and one of those were the small fire bending tricks he used to show me. The breath of fire being one of them, along with making the form of a dragon with fire. It was nice. Let's see if I can find small moments like these with Lin. Maybe we can have another night together. She looked amazing without anything on. Her chiseled body. The small scars along it. The way she moaned against my touch. How sensitive her neck was. 

_Stop it . . . You're going to be working with her. There's no point in thinking like this if you haven't even met her yet, y/n._

Even as my mind wandered off and I reprimanded myself, I found it getting hotter. Sucking in a breath through my mouth, my hand travelled down to my slacks. 

_She won't know if I think about her._

——————◇◇◇——————

The morning alarm rang and I slammed my hand down on it. My fingers pinched the bridge of my nose as I slowly began to sit up. With a groan, I place a hand on my abdomen to try and suppress the pain. For someone who knew about healthy and unhealthy habits, I really was the worst example. Alcoholic, public smoker. Not to mention the dreams and the mind. I see how mental illness runs through each woven side of my cloth, my own flesh and blood made up of some sick and direst cruelty. 

The process of getting up is grueling on my body. It's painful. The rough posture I sleep in only helps in worsening how bad my neck aches and the small headaches. I brush my teeth and shower, making sure I have enough time to shave after. A sigh escapes my lips as I change into black slacks and my gaze drifts to my right arm. Scarring decorated the fine skin that only reminded me of a civilisation that wouldn't ever call me a pure blooded fire bender. The only flaw they saw was my mother. An endearing water bender from the north that moved to start a tea shop down in Ba Sing Se. Oh they thought she was evil. Expecting me to join the business my father had a large part in, the laps of burns cascading upon swirls of flame up my arm is a large reminder that I'm stuck in whatever game they want to play. The movement of the scar resembled a dragon. Some may take pride in it while others hide it in fear of being shunned. The triad my father upheld was well known in the Fire Nation. I was lucky enough to convince Lord Zuko that I wasn't dealing with them anymore and he took pity on me. 

Hurriedly, I throw on a black shirt that featured a woven golden thread within it and a pair of black gloves. 

_I'm going to be late . . ._

I grab a small sweet bread and sling my bag over my shoulder. It's a cold morning as I step out of my garage with my bike.  
"Good morning, Republic City. It is absolutely not nice to see you." I grumbled to myself as I start my bike after finishing the sweet bread. The city is incredibly cold through winter, the Fire Nation is definitely a lot warmer compared to winters. 

A parking space was quite easy to find actually, I parked next to a sleek satomobile. 

_Wonder who owns that one . . ._

I made my way up the steps to the station and towards the front desk. A rather bored man greeted me as I stepped up.  
"What you here for?" His posture was horrible. The poor secretary barely spared me a glance as he continued to write. 

"I'm here to see Chief Beifong. I'm the new criminal psychologist." I tried my best to sport a smile, softening my features in the process. I had this immovable glare the whole way here. 

He told me the directions to her office and I walked over, greeting a few officers on my way up to her office. It was quite far actually. 

I stood in front of the door and took a deep breath to myself. A mix of emotions sat in the pit of my stomach. New job. Here we go. 

"You know that you can come in." A stern voice seemed to greet me on the other side. I hesitated for a moment before going to grab the doorknob. The door slung open before I could do it. "Why are you stood—"

I took a sharp breath in. Chief cleared her throat before motioning to come in. I shut the door behind me and walked up to her desk.  
"Y/n l/n. I'm your new criminal psychologist." 

"Y/n. I'm glad to put the name to a face. I was just going through the records that Lord Zuko gave me. Sit." Chief wore glasses while looking at a few pieces of paper that I could only guess as my own records. I didn't ask any question, following her command to make me sit in the two chairs in front of her desk. "I've seen you before. I don't know where." 

I got caught up in her eyes. Shimmering shades of green much like gems that were one of a kind. I took a few seconds before I answered her.  
"Yes. We've— we've met at a bar once and you've come to my house." I let out a small cough in the embarrassment. 

"What? Why did I go to your house?" Chief seemed confused more than anything. Her stiff brow raised. 

_Don't make me spell it out Lin . . . I'm begging at this point._

I rubbed the back of my neck as I felt my face begin to redden.  
"We spent the night together... in my bed." I looked over at her and watched the realisation hit her. Her face showed a small tint to her cheeks. 

Chief cleared her throat and set the papers back at her eye level.  
"Right." As I was mentally preparing myself to be sent on the trip back to the Fire Nation, she set the papers and her glasses on the desk. "I hope that night doesn't distract you from working."

_Distract me? It's all I can think about. She was literally the hottest person I've taken home from the bar before! And she said she didn't have much experience that night! The best I tell you!_

"I'm strictly professional." 

_Fuckin idiot. That's what I am._

——————◇◇◇——————

Zuko had encouraged me to take a holiday while on my birthday. It was the last day of my trip and I went out drinking. King had promised to meet me at the Manila Lounge but got caught up in his own affairs like usual. It wasn't much of a loss for me, he would usually drink then find someone he could take home. To be fair, I did the same when I was too drunk but Zuko told me to rest. I didn't plan on taking anyone home that night. I'm glad I did. 

The bar was reasonably empty but a few stragglers for the night as it barely touched morning. Well. It was 1 in the morning. A woman sat at the bar dressed in a white shirt and dark green slacks. It might be nice to get some friends in Republic City since the move was bound to happen soon enough. 

The hour went by and I bought drinks for the both of us, seemingly winning her charms.  
"Want to ride back at mine?" I raised an eyebrow at the greying woman, not even getting a name yet. 

"Depends. How far away is your place?" She looked over at me. I took in the details of her face, glad she considered coming over. 

Moments passed by and I had her pinned to my bed, taking in the taste of her lips. She bit on my lower lip as I parted to get my shirt off. Her hand rest on my body, slowly moving around while tracing small scars, and moved to rest in the small of my back to pull me down. I was desperate in the way I kissed her, moving down to her neck and finding the small noises coming from her. She hastily took off her shirt and my thumb found it's way over the hardened bud of her nipple.  
"Fuck—" The light stimulation gained another small noise. I kissed down her body while pulling off her trousers and placing the flat of my tongue to her. A muffled moan came from her as she bit her lip. My tongue worked it's way around her for a while, gaining a constant string of moans to come from her. I fastened my mouth to her clit as my fingers began to enter her. She provided louder moans, filling my ears with the sound of her. I hooked my fingers inside her, feeling along her walls for some secret spot. She shouted out as I rubbed against it and clutched onto the nearby sheets. I continued on, easing her through her climax before sitting back on my legs to unbuckle my belt. She rest for a bit, panting heavily.

"Ready?" I came down again, kissing along her neck and reaching up to her jawline. I already had myself up against her entrance, pushing in slightly. She grabbed me and flipped the both of us, not realising that would fit my whole cock in her. 

She came down against my chest, grinding her hips against me.  
"S— shit! Ah—! My—" She took in a deep breath and slowed the pace she grinded against me, now getting used to my length. "—my bad." My hands rest on her legs and began trailing up her sides. I traced small scars along her abs and felt the tightly wound muscles. 

I sat up so I could kiss along her body and show her she was doing a good job by the small moans from me.  
"It's alright. Just keep going." I left a small mark just above her breast and she lifted herself up, beginning to ride me. She had me straddled to the bed, no complaints from me. She controlled the pace of her pleasure and earned moans from me as well. I started to come close and I felt her tighten against me. I flipped us again. Now I was able to thrust deeper in her as her legs wrapped around my waist. I came down in her ear, my voice hoarse. "Fuck—!"

She pulled me further down, making me burry my face in the crook of her neck and tugging on my hair slightly.  
"Cum inside—!" I didn't argue, just desperately wanting to finish as I felt the build up. I continued on, her nails digging into my back, and soon eased us both through our climaxes. She shouted out, trying to quiet herself after realising I had neighbors. 

——————◇◇◇——————

Chief waved a hand in front of my face.  
"Hello?" I blinked a few times, giving her a small smile. 

"Sorry, I was just— thinking."

_Being a manwhore. I was being a manwhore._

She tapped her fingers on the desk before getting up.  
"We're going to your first perp. Lord Zuko suggested I get some of my side of the deal over with before Fire Lord Izumi complains." Right. The Lord's daughter was one I grew to know quite fondly. At first, we didn't get along because of my past abrasive behaviour. I always wanted to pick a fight once I had been allowed into the palace. Once I had gone for my travels around the nations, I came back as who I am now and we got along famously well. 

I lifted myself from the chair and followed her. I found that I was taller than her by a few inches and laughed slightly.  
"So how's it going to go?" We headed down the hallways and soon into an elevator. 

"Well, you're going to wait in the interrogation room while I get the perp. You do whatever you need to do and I take them out and back into a cell. I'm only able to do this whenever I'm free so you're stuck with my schedule." By the time the earthbender finishes explaining, I'm able to take a seat in a freezing metal chair. I shift slightly, putting my bag next to me and taking out my notebook. "I'll be back."

I listened to the sound of the metal door opening and her metal clicking against the floor on her way out. 

_It's been a while, notebook. Time for criminal no#197. Three years of this stuff and I'm still counting . . . when do I get to retire again?_

I flip through the notebook of scribbled handwriting and find a new page to document behaviours, speech and just the basic rundown of the criminal. 

A click of the door brought my attention to it. A tall, lean man stood in front of Lin while his eyes kept to the floor. His hair seemed unnecessarily messy and long, he didn't take care of himself and seemed like he couldn't care less. The man sat right across from me and didn't meet my eyes. He only started at his hands as they rest on the table.  
"Hello? Could you tell me your name?" I tried to speak in a softer tone. Treat people with respect and they'll show the same. I just had to hope that he still had some humility left in him. 

"His name's—" Lin began to answer for him. I lift my hand up to the side, turning to face her. 

"I'm sure he can answer for himself, _Chief_." I let her title spit from my mouth, watching how her eyebrows knitted together before turning back to the man who now looked up. His eyes were blue, almost green. I could tell the overall emotion from him through his face but saw nothing through his eyes. He was almost at peace. 

"Sa-rang Priichit." He held a gruff tone. One that matched the image of his stark black hair and the cuffs around his wrists. 

I began to write his name down. I knew the other criminals just the same, able to use them as my own case studies or hypotheticals or even just to check in on them.  
"What offences have you committed?" I felt burning holes in the back of my head as Beifong stared. Oh boy. 

"Three murders." The man sat stiff, not wishing to move a muscle in fear or whatever else. His voice stayed monotone and he wanted to keep short answers. I noted these things down. An unusually calm air about him for killing three people. 

"Did you know them? Why did you do it?" I clicked my pen, only realising that it could annoy either Chief or the criminal if I continued and readying my pen on the page instead. 

He hesitated for a quick second. A slight bite on his lower lip.  
"The first two was my wife and her lover. I found them together when I came home and was soon arrested. When I came out— I, um." The man looked down at his hands and avoided looking at the two people in the room. He took a sharp breath in and a deep breath out. "The third was my brother. We had an argument and I lost my temper." He seemed just like a textbook definition. He was doing a good job at it as well. 

"Let's go back to the first two. How did it happen?" I got ready to write down whatever he said. 

He closed his eyes.  
"I came home early and saw her clothes just outside the bedroom with another's. I heard them as soon as I walked in and found them together. I don't do well with remembering what happened. All I remember is the blood." He opened his eyes as soon as he finished, expecting a reaction. I kept my iron gaze on him. It isn't good to give fuel to a burning fire. 

The questioning continued on and I managed to fill a good page and a half about this man and how his brain seemed to be wired. He'll make a good case study. Only with Chief's and his permission of course. I tapped my pen on the page as I made the final full stop.  
"We're done here. Chief will take you back to your cell. Thanks for your time." I gave a nod to the man as he stood up and looked over the notes. He knew what he did was wrong. But the issue was remorse. 

"L/n. Wait in my office. I still need to speak to you." I jumped at the sound of her voice.

_I forgot she was even here . . ._

I packed the notebook away and slung my bag over my shoulder before walking out. She gave a curt nod before going off and leaving me to find the office again. 

Heavy feet guide me down the halls, up the elevator and into the office. I lift the bag from my shoulder and look around the office for a moment before settling down on a couch just hidden in the corner of the room. 

_What time did I fall asleep last night? Did I even sleep?_

A small yawn escapes me and I close my eyes. Chief should take a couple minutes. What hurt could a little shut eye do?

_**A lot. Don't you remember what happened last time?**_

_It's different now. Chief is someone I can trust._

_**Hm.**_

——————◇◇◇——————


	2. Talking is hard.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night in the city didn't seem like a bad idea. Too bad you were stuck in Chief Beifong's office with her to deal with reports. A conversation is struck between the two of you.  
> The second day isn't much different from yesterday. You're given an official case to work on with Beifong. A small argument erupts after you silence her in the interrogation room again. You have to remind her what your place in the force is and who in this relationship has the upper hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmm I'm on Chirstmas break so more time to write and plan,,  
> I'm planning to try to do a Christmas special chapter but we'll see how much time I have leading up to Christmas to write it,,

——————◇◇◇——————

_My lip withstood the amount of pressure between my teeth. A small scar just below my lip that can be seen even today on my face. I had fallen asleep just by my father as he worked. The next moment I had been bound to a chair with my right arm held out just for them to see. The rough calluses of my father's hands trailed my arm and rolled the sleeve up.  
"Don't worry son, the pain you go through today will only be the start of your reign. Just remember that you can't escape your birth right." My father's words were harsh. He had tried to be soft, comforting my fears in his head, but he was to burn me. To mark me with a snake of fire for our ruling triad. The Jade Dragon triad was well known. Even to authorities. But members of the triad had fought back against those who tried to arrest them and eventually living in the shadows was only a period of childhood. _

_"Dad. Dad please— don't." My pleads seemed to bring his eyes to a gloss. It was useless._

_He didn't let another moment pass before he brought fire before both of us. It took it's time to taunt me, twirling around in a circle of heat. It soon morphed into a length of rope that trailed up my arm. At first it was just hot. Then the grip tightened on me. Heat blistered down against my arm in ranks that lashed out punishment. A hysterical scream came from me as biting my lip caused blood to run down my chin. I could feel each cell of my skin succumbing to the flame as the smell of burning flesh licked at my nose. This dragon travelled further up my arm and stayed there. Each second lasting centuries longer than they should have. The lasting impact of the serpent drew back as soon as my father knew the mark was to stay until I died. Even as it left, the heat still lingered and I felt how the seared flesh melted. A thick smell of my own burning human body fogged up the room. I felt each breath come in deep and hard, my throat dry. My eyes stung at the sound of my father leaving the room. My face was horribly wet._

_**Pathetic . . . even now. No one to protect you or love you anymore. It's a reminder of what you are.** _

_**A criminal.** _

My eyes flicked open as a chill of cold sweat came down from my forehead. A bead ran down my back to remind me to sit up straight. My eyes looked over at the gloved hand that caused me my sanity. I took a sharp breath in. My features were twisted in some type of mortal agony. I had to calm down. Chief would be coming in soon. 

"Y/n. You alright?" Chief's words seemingly came out more in nessessity than worry. I can't just fold on the first day. Or show her how messed up I am. 

_Of course she's already here._

A deep sigh escaped me before I could say anything.  
"Yes. I'm fine." I rubbed my eyes. "Just tired is all." 

Her eyes looked back at her paperwork, continuing to write. A stack of papers sat by her and it seemed she had made her way through a good portion of them. I took another deep breath before grabbing some of my own paperwork from my bag and a pen. I looked over at her desk for a quick second before getting up with my bag. My legs almost gave out on me once I had been able to get up, a headache started to cloud my head. I dismissed these signs to rest as I sat in the chair by Chief's desk. I bit my lip slightly. My teeth grazing over the scar just below my lip. Maybe start a conversation.  
"You said you wanted to talk?" 

I looked over at her. Her eyes flicked up to meet mine. My eyes paled in comparison to hers. Mine were almost hazel, just fading between a soft honey. My mother thought it was the best thing about me. She said I had kind eyes. Ones that held the sun. Hers, on the other hand, held the valiant jewels of emeralds. Jade, even. With the right lighting, small gold flakes were seen in her eyes. This was the closest I've seen them since the last time. My eyes flicked down to look at her lips for a quick moment. Hopefully she didn't notice.  
"Yes. Since you've been transferred to the RCPD, you'll be helping me with cases. I work with the most important ones. I'll be giving you a run down of the case tomorrow since it doesn't look like you're up to it today." As soon as she finished what she wanted to say, she broke eye contact and went straight back to work. Maybe it would be good to keep our distance. Important work needs to be done. 

"I—" I wanted to protest. I felt okay to work. But I obviously took a longer than needed nap as the sun began to set just outside the window. "I'm fine with that." One sigh later and I got started on my own work. Zuko gave me some reports to finish before I left the palace. He also gave me some of his own documents to read over and make sure they were correct before sending it back to him. 

Chief stopped writing and looked over at the Fire Nation emblem on the papers.  
"What are you working on?" She seemed interested. Her usual stern tone still soaking through. I couldn't really read her. She was so secretive. So much like stone. It was almost impossible. 

"Confidential Fire Nation documents for Lord Zuko. Some for Fire Lord Izumi as well. Nothing really special though." To me it wasn't special. It was just. Work. I finished writing a sentence before looking up at her. 

Chief scoffed.  
"It can't be 'nothing special' if it's for the royal family. Want to tell me what it is?" She leaned on the desk with her arms crossed. Maybe she was just taking a break from her own work. There should be no reason why she's interested in my own paperwork. But at least it seemed like she forgot about silencing her in the interrogation room. 

"Reports on recent criminal activity in different towns compared with last years. A few papers that Zuko wrote that I need to check over for any misinformation or mistakes. For Izumi, just a letter I need to finish and then everything is sent together to the Fire Nation." I gave her my full attention. She gave me hers. 

_Good grounds. We're on good grounds. Don't fuck it up, y/n._

"You getting anymore after you send them?" She picked up her pen, readying herself to get back to whatever report she was working on. 

"Maybe. I may have transferred here, but it doesn't seem like Zuko wants me to stay long." I looked at the rest of the stack of paper in my bag. It was enough for over a months work but there was a slim chance Zuko would send more. I would have to go back to the Fire Nation if I wanted to have the rest of my work. 

Lin's eyebrows furrowed as the last words left my lips.  
"What do you mean? Zuko made it out like you'd stay till at least next year." She immediately put her pen down, almost slamming it down on the desk. I jumped slightly at her action. My shoulders became tense. 

"Well the transfer is temporary and I have a Nation to take care of. I'm an integral part of Lord Zuko and Fire Lord Izumi's govern whether you like it or not, Lin." The mention of her name seems to stir the pot. In a good way or bad way, I can't tell. She picks up her pen and gets back to writing. A small mumble comes from her but she's too quiet to understand. 

_Great talk. **Nice one.**_

——————◇◇◇——————

A little faster on the morning routine and I was out of the house. The outfit of the day consisted of a white button up, black slacks and a light brown overcoat. I didn't feel the need to cover my hand, the overcoat was a little big on me anyway. On the way to the station, the cold nipped at my skin through the thin shirt I had on. I forgot to put on a tank top under the shirt and had to suffer the consequences. 

I walked into the station and spoke to some officers that were just coming in or were going out. It was nice to get to know some of these guys while I was here. I met a group of officers, Hunter, Mao and Robi. They were nice enough to welcome me into the force as one of their own. But my visit was soon cut short as I had to head over to Chief's office. I didn't hesitate this time, opening the door as soon as I got there. To say I was happy to see the harsh earthbender was an understatement.  
"Y/n. Morning." Glassess. She has glasses on. My breath hitched at the mention of my own name from her lips. 

_Spirits. What has this woman done to me?_

I close the door behind me and walk over to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of her. I'm starting to favour the left chair more than the right.  
"So do I get to hear about the new case?" I fiddled with my hands. As soon as one of my fingers grazed across that oh so familiar texture of burnt, I stuffed my hands into my pockets. 

Lin looks up at me and meets my eyes, taking off her glasses before speaking.  
"I'll give you a run down now but I'll have the available documents after today's interrogation." A small, curt nod from me. "Recently there has been a string of journalists murdered in their apartment. Only about 3 have been found and Raiko thinks there will definitely be more. You've been put on the case to hopefully find who the killer is before any more of my civilians are killed." She spoke with her arms glued across her chest, not moving from their crossed position until she was finished. She got back to writing once she had put her glasses back on. 

"Right. So who do I get to see this time? Robbery? Arson?" I took my time to guess my offender, watching a huff come from the woman sat in front of me. 

"Homicide. And can you be quiet? I'm trying to write up a report." Lin grumbled to herself and I crossed my arms. Maybe it's not a good idea to annoy Chief of police. She could get me killed. With no remorse or trace. Kind of hot. 

_Shit . . . it's cold. The Fire Nation has heaters! Why can't this woman get heaters!_

I closed my eyes as I waited. Taking a deep breath in, I calm my nerves as I use the breath to heat up my body. I feel it spread down into my body and hold it to send this newfound warmth to my limbs. When I feel like it's run it's course, I take the deep breath out. It ignites as it leaves my body, a burst of fire escapes me and I feel the lingering heat on my lips.  
"Cold..." I talk to myself as the breath leaves me. 

Lin finishes a sentence before looking up at me.  
"So you breathe fire now?" She raises an eyebrow at me. 

"I'll explain it later. I'm too cold." A sharp breath comes from me and it turns into fog. The short breath reminds me that it's been a while since the last time I've smoked. 

She let's out a small laugh and begins to get up from her esteemed Chief chair.  
"Come on. The interrogation room is warmer." A soft smile decorated my features as she spoke and I soon followed her. 

"So you do just keep it this cold, Chief?" I joke, playfully poking fun at her. A gruff sound is all I get in response. 

At least I got a laugh. I'm one step closer to getting to know her better. 

——————◇◇◇——————

The man I spoke to seemed oddly calm. I was able to get a good grip of the mentality of this man and compare him to previous case studies I've done. Maybe it was nostalgia but, the Chief interrupted my session again. I stopped her from talking and earned a small chuckle from the criminal I spoke to this morning. I walked back to the office alone like usual and sat at her desk, beginning to go through some documents about the new case. 

A click and the door had been locked.  
"So you think it's okay to silence a Chief in front of a criminal? To talk over a superior officer?" Her tone started off as harsh. A sleek poison radiated off of her. I didn't turn to look at her, deeming the documents more important. 

"And? You interrupted _me_ during _my_ job. I am the one who speaks and it should stay that way." I felt a small pebble collide with my right cheek. The sting of it made me turn to look at her. She hadn't moved from her place, her arms crossed over her chest with a scowl painted on her features. It was a look she wore plenty well. 

"Don't speak to me like that! I am your Chief!" The way she spoke became sharper, a cruel way she lashed out at her own officers. 

I paid her no mind and went back to reading the documents.  
"I want you to keep this in mind, _Chief_. You work for President Raiko. Protecting a city with your own force. _I_ work for and with Lord Zuko and Fire Lord Izumi. I protect an entire Nation with the royal family and I have apparently done better than you. _I am of higher rank than you, Chief. Remember that._ " A slight growl hit my voice as I kept it low enough for her to hear. I shut her down fast and watched her take her seat in front of me while anger dripped off her. 

_**Way to stand up for yourself. She definitely hates you now.**_  
——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spicy again >:)  
> Next chapter is definitely shorter but does involve some of you comforting Lin >;)


	3. A President and an office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost a week has passed and you finally have an office. The both of you haven't made any progress in the case. While a murderer is on the loose, tensions grow between Chief Beifong and president Raiko. It's often that you hear him shouting from the room next to yours. After he's left, your worry for the Chief is proved right and you try to let her open up to you. Too bad the Chief is so stubborn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter :(  
> But this chapter is essential to the relationship and sets up a nice scene later on >:)

——————◇◇◇——————

The week passed by faster than it should have. I became more separate to Chief as I was able to get my own office. It was just by hers just in case I needed to talk to her. I rarely did though. I only got to see her in the mornings or whenever I was able to find something new out about the case. Which rarely happened as well. I had scattered documents across my desk and my head in my hands as I heard President Raiko had gone into Chief's office. 

_Fucking hell. If I hear one more argument I'm going into Chief's office to complain or something._

Every time Raiko made one of his amazing visits, the entire building shook with the two dominant personalities. Two people in power constantly fighting seemed to be a running theme here in Republic City and I've almost had my fill of this RCPD. I groaned as I heard their voices begin to get louder and words were able to be formed. 

"Don't tell me how to do my job." Chief's stern voice was clearly heard through to my office. Robi, one of the officers that I was lucky enough to befriend, informed me about the bets in the force. Officers would bet which person would start shouting first. Apparently these bets got pretty big. 

"I wouldn't need to if you were doing it right! My city is in danger and you're just sitting there!" Raiko was the first to raise his voice. Robi would definitely win the bet this time. I groaned and covered my ears, already feeling the headache coming on. I almost slammed my head on my desk in the process. 

"How _fucking_ dare you!" I could only imagine the great scowl painted across her face as she answered him back. "Get. OUT." Her shouting was met with the slam of her door and a grumbling President. I kept my eyes closed and my head on my desk, trying to ground myself. Every time they shout. My heart rate rises. I begin to sweat. My breathing quickens as gets harder. My lip endures me chewing on it and a headache starts to take it's toll on me. It can't be any better on her either. 

——————◇◇◇——————

_"You can't just drag him down with you! Y/n needs a normal childhood with normal friends!" My mother had been trying to bargain with my father for the past few days. It's been a while since I just heard silence or even music._

_"He's important! We're important to this family line!" My ear was glued on the door of my room. Father tried his best to get my mother on board with the ideas of the Jade Dragon but it always failed. My mother always saw the burning of another's flesh as a horrible deed. As she should have. Father didn't see it that way. It was supposed to be freeing._

_"Important? He'll be a criminal! You're a murderer for spirits sake!" With fighting, there was always some type of violence to go with it. Always._

_The crack of a beer bottle caused me to pull my knees up to my chest._

——————◇◇◇——————

_Check on her. Please check on her._

I know it's a bad idea. But maybe just seeing her will calm some part of me down. Just to know that she's safe and maybe even calm. I took a shaky breath in as soon as I had realised my hand was on my doorknob. 

_**She hates you, remember? You'll only annoy her more.** _

_I need to try._

I let out a sigh and leave my office and head over to hers. I knock softly before opening the door and peering in.  
"Who is it?" She massaged her temples with her glasses in her other hand. She definitely was not happy about the idea of having to see someone. 

"It's just me. I wanted to talk to you." In some weird way, it kind of comforted me to know it looked like she only had a headache. I made my way over to her and sat in one of the chairs in front of her. 

She held a scowl firmly in place as she put on her glasses to get back to whatever work she had been plagued with.  
"About what?" She paid me no attention as she worked. 

I cleared my throat.  
"Just wanted to see how you were doing." This felt stupid. She wasn't going to pay any attention to me anyway. 

"Well I'm in one piece. You can leave now." I racked my brain for something smart to say. I travelled the nations. And all that experience leaves me when I speak to this woman. I don't know what to feel anymore. 

I reach my hand over and stop her from writing anymore. At first, a quick flash of anger flicks up to meet my eyes. But my features are soft and eventually her anger is replaced with something else. I can't tell what it is.  
"Chief. Seriously. How are you?" There's a softness to her hands that I had forgotten. Even though there may be calluses, her hands aren't rough in any way. My thumb grazes over her knuckles and I can see her in some kind of deep thought. 

"I—" The esteemed Chief allows a sigh to escape between her lips. "I'm fine." Her hand refused to leave mine. She was scared to even move a muscle. In case I'd leave. 

"Are you sure? You know you can talk to me if you feel any type of distress." I tell her whatever I tell my clients. It allows a level of trust and belief between the two participants but she doesn't seem to take it. 

Her thumb grazes over my skin slightly before she pulls herself away. She leans back in her chair and crosses her arms. Her features harden.  
"I don't need a therapist to rely on. If you don't have anything to say about the case, you can get out." Her tone reverts back to something more strict. She's back to the steeled Chief Beifong. 

I begin to get up, a long sigh coming from me.  
"If you do ever want to talk, everything is confidential. It's a no judge zone and I'll try my best to make you feel comfortable. But I understand that you probably won't want to." I accept it for the moment. It's just been a week since I've met her. Maybe one day I'll get to know her better. 

She watches as I leave. I see her chew on her lip as i turn to shut the door. Maybe she's considering it. It's hard to tell. I made my way back to my mess of an office and push my back against the door. 

_Would you look at that. I **messed up again**._

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise that I tagged the story with slow to update but here I am. Writing a chapter because I've focused on the story because Lin Beifong brainrot  
> I don't know how many chapters there'll be but I hope it goes on pretty long because I actually want to read it when it's fully finished and not just a short story lmao


	4. Journalist #3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A homicide is reported and you have a hunch that it's connected to your current case. Your talk with the Chief is strictly professional. She wants to ignore what happened yesterday and you aren't going to argue. While on the scene, a good friend comes to see you and reminds you about the extra job you've taken on. Chief doesn't seem too impressed that you're talking to a citizen while on the scene.

——————◇◇◇——————

I spent the rest of yesterday holed up in my office. While trying to think of any type of lead for the case, I finished up most of the reports that Zuko had given me and I'm able to mail them back over. As I walk up to my office, my eyes travel to the door that leads to the familiar office of someone I often thought of. 

_She might already be in this early. It's only nine anyway._

I chewed at my lip but this newfound nervousness regarding the Chief brought up the events of yesterday. 

_"I don't need a therapist to rely on."  
That's what she thinks of me. I'm just this psycho that transferred here. I shouldn't be intruding on her life like this._

My feet bring me in the direction of my office and the wavering hand that was about to open Lin's office opens mine instead.   
"It's better this way." I find myself voicing my thoughts when the prying eyes of the early officers have left me. 

My desk has the files of the journalists wide open on the pile of paper and I walk over to look at them. I have my back turned to the door and I stretch my arms above my head, allowing my shirt to raise and show off my belt with some skin. As my arms fall to my sides, a gruff morning growl escapes me without a second thought. I just had to wake up this early for a job I wasn't even going to take in the first place. Goddamnit Izumi. Always about self growth and shit. 

A small clink from behind me alerts me and I'm quick to look over my shoulder. Chief leans against the door frame with her arms crossed like usual. I catch her in the act of watching me. A faint blush covers her face as she clears her throat and she diverts her gaze. 

_Chief Beifong? Blushing? No, now I'm just making things up._

"What do you need, Chief?" I decide to break whatever funk looking at her put her in and actually acknowledge her in the room. Her eyes flick up from the floor and meet my sun. 

"Homicide reported uptown. Another journalist so I'm taking you down to the scene." Her face returns to the same Beifong stone. Completely unreadable. That was the only thing that bothered me about her. I can't read her. I can't tell when she's just fine or there's something on her mind. I need to spend more time with her. 

I rummage through a drawer of mine for one of my notebooks that I just use to write down whatever.   
"Just give me a minute." It's taking longer than normal to just find a notebook. I mumble to myself and leave Lin to scope out the condition of my office. 

"You ever clean up? I don't understand how a room can look so empty but so messy at the same time." She's too busy to notice your head just sticking up from your desk. She is right though. A potted plant stays in the corner and my desk is in the middle. That's about it for the partially wooden room. Of course, my desk has papers stacked up on it and some papers even reside under the desk or around the desk on the floor. Maybe I do need to clean up. Or decorate. 

"All part of the creative process, Chief." I finally find a suitable notebook and rise from my crouch by the drawers in my desk. I walk over and give her a quick wink as I pass by her. "So where we going?"

A small tut comes from the Chief before she regards me.   
"Uptown. I told you we're going to a journalist's apartment." I can see her bite back the urge to shout at me. Her face seems to scrunch up in her attempts. I can actually see anger in her face this time. 

I give a few officers a quick nod as I pass by them while walking through the police station. They return my nod, then go back to whatever they were doing at the sight of Chief.   
"Who's this journalist then?" Chief heads out of the station first, making sure I don't get hit by the door. 

_She's kind of sweet. In her own way I guess._

"Well known guy in the community. Handed in articles early, pretty good at no bias, well spoken too." I see her cock her brow as I walk by what looks like her satomobile. The mystery is soon solved as I stop by my motorbike and pull out my keys. I had been able to park next to her satomobile since day one here. I have to say, she has good taste for satomobile models. 

I sit up on my motorbike and rev up the engine.   
"They always have something to hide." Satisfied with my last few words, I put my helmet on and get ready to tail the Chief. With the help of a police siren, we're able to get there pretty fast. 

——————◇◇◇——————

Smashed glass covered the floor of the bedroom and part of the balcony. Definitely some type of foul play at work. The apartment had been turned upside down, clothes and belongings littered the floor of every room. 

_Whoever did this has some serious anger issues that they need to get checked out. Like right now._

I scratched my chin and pulled out my notebook and pen. I wrote some notes down about the state the apartment had been left in and travelled down the pathway I had previously taken to the bedroom to the living room. The body had been meticulously placed to sit on the couch like any normal person would. Although, there were multiple lacerations to the throat, chest and abdomen. The jaw let show of the tongue. It had been split down the middle. Blood poured down this poor man's chin and onto his ruined blue shirt. On the neighbouring coffee table was a anatomical textbook drawing of a snake with a knife firmly holding it in place. 

The woman kneeling in front of the man interrupted my thoughts.   
"In all of my years as Chief, I've never seen something so planned." She gets up from her position, crossing her arms and turning to face me. 

"I have to hand it to you, the Fire Nation does not get this creative." I'm too busy to realise that Chief thinks I had made a joke or a lighthearted comment and a small rock hits me in the cheek. 

_Where do the rocks come from? Where do they go?_

I let out a hiss in pain and rub my cheek as I watch Lin walk over to another officer who has a camera. I head out of the apartment and outside to get a breath of fresh air as I write up my notes. There's a few civilian stragglers around the police bars that block the building from the public. Just some crime fanatics, I can only guess. 

"Y/n. Hey, come over here." A hushed voice away from officers alerts me. They hide themselves in a large jacket, hands pushed into the pockets as far as they could go. 

Despite my nervousness to talk to the obviously dangerous individual, I walk over to the figure.   
"And who are you?" I try to keep a strong voice, letting none of my hesitation leak out into my tone. 

"Doesn't matter. King sent me." They talk without looking at my eyes. A gruff tone joins them. Someone else is watching them talk to me. 

"Let me guess, checking if I'm still on his job?" I close my notebook, placing it in one of my coat pockets. With my free hands, I put them behind my back and stand shoulder width apart. It's the most professional I can look. I should've learned a thing or two after being Zuko's guard dog. 

"Yeah. He's got a price over 250 for each head." They kick a small stone in front of them, flinching when it hit my shoe. I loosen my stance. 

_Don't be on the defensive all the time. You're not your dad. Am I?_

"Alright, listen. I'm on a case where I can't start it. I'll be working on it soon." I soften how I look at them. "Also tell him to get off my back. I'll do his shady jobs when I want to." I close my eyes for a moment, face contorting at the thought of the slimy man, an rejoin the conversation. 

A sharp clearing of someone's throat gets my attention.   
"L/n. If you're finished talk to your friend here, I'm heading back to the station and you should come with." Chief stands behind me, her arms firmly crossed against her chest. 

_oh fuck—_

"I— uh— yes, Chief." My stance falters, a small smile manages to appear on my face when I turn to face the Chief. I follow her back down to our vehicles. "Not my friend though." 

I hear a small growl come from the Chief by my side.   
"Not helping your case." 

"Wha— what do you mean by—?" She completely ignores me, going into her satomobile and starting it before I could say another word. "—and she's gone. Good talk, Chief." I grumble slightly as I try to start up my bike to tail her again. She doesn't leave me any time to follow her and I have to try and catch up to her. 

_shit._

——————◇◇◇——————

I ran into the station after her, I was definitely a little later that she was. My pace turns into a slow jog and then I stop in front of her door. The door flings open by itself and I can see her with her arms crossed, leaning against her desk. I don't waste another second before I step into her office. I don't want to poke an angry Chief.   
"L/n. Will you tell me why you were talking to a civilian on scene?" 

I hear the door slam and lock behind me.   
"I— I wasn't talking about the case if that's what you're worried about." I stand shoulder width apart, my hands clasped behind my back again. This was the first time I formally stood like this by her so I could only hope I didn't anger her any more than I already did. 

"I'm supposed to believe the psycho with the degree?" Her glare was stone cold. 

_You know what? Fuck it. She can't send me away, she needs me. I shouldn't have to be intimidated by her._

My stance loosens and I let out a breath that I had been holding. She seems to notice my change, steeling over her hardened glare even more.   
"Well travelling the nations does that to you. The degree makes me an asset here, hun." I slide in a pet name, maybe I can just tempt her into not chewing me out. 

Lin let's out a cough, turning her head to avoid looking at me.   
"Don't call me that."

_Is— is she blushing? Did...— did I do that? What is happening?_

I move with instinct now, walking towards her. I'm near enough to her to place my hands either side of her on her desk, effectively pinning her.   
"You blushing is a pretty sight. You want me to call you pet names, Lin?" I lean further into her, feeling her heart through her metal uniform. I feel the heat rising in her face as I lean in to whisper in her ear. "Be selfish with me. _I'll do whatever you want me to._ " I let my sultry tones leak in. 

A breath of hot air grazes past my ear and cheek.   
"Don't." She makes no attempt to push me away, her arms still crossed over her chest. Her words seem to only be a warning for herself. 

"What names do you like best, Lin? Honey? Baby? Love? Maybe even darling?" I let myself sink further into her side. My right arm moves to rest in the small of her back and I feel another sharp breath from her. 

"You're dismissed. Go to your office and get your work done." The words come out with her normal Beifong voice, no dip in tones or anything. One of her fingers taps along her arm and unlock the door. 

I step away from her and see how she shivers slightly at the extreme loss of my body heat.   
"As you wish, baby." I leave with a wink, shutting to door behind me. 

My eyes meet with one of my colleagues, Robi. She hurries over to me and I hear Lin's door lock.   
"How are you still alive? Chief looked like she was ready to kill someone." Robi fumbles with the stack of papers she holds in her hands. 

"I'm tough as nails, Ro. I'll survive anything." I rub my nack slightly, a small smile on my face. I can still feel a slight flush to my cheeks after interacting with the Chief. 

A small chuckle comes from the short officer.   
"Strong _and handsome_ , eh?" She raises an eyebrow at me. "Anyway, I've got to go hand these to Mao. He's shadowing me and deserves to find out what real paperwork looks like." She laughs at her own joke and I laugh slightly, more in nervousness than anything. The earthbender elbows me in the side as she passes me with a smile plastered on her face. As soon as she leaves, I make my way to my office and quickly shut the door behind me. 

Even though I've just seen and talked to someone else, Lin plagues my mind still. The breaths that she let out next to my ear makes me lean against my door. 

_Am I touch starved or something? I can't be just folding over a stupid breath._

I swallow roughly as my heart beats faster at the thought of her. My hands tangle themselves in my hair and I take my seat at my desk. It doesn't take me another moment before I slam my head down on my desk. 

_She gives me blue balls at work. Again._

_**Ha! You're a fucking idiot!** _

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I might work on a Christmas special ???  
> Comment if you want one I guess >:)


	5. Christmas special !!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The station did a secret Santa and you've decided on a gift for your person after some time deliberating. You're also able to spend some extra time with Lin in her apartment for Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fyi, this does not affect the main story ! This is more of a side story that happens some other Christmas

——————◇◇◇——————

It's the week to Chistmas.   
"Who did you get for secret Santa? Spill the beans." Mao sat next to me. Next to him were Robi and Hunter. We had all gone out to a local cafe during break hours for a small chat. 

I took a sip of my coffee before I said anything.   
"Chief. Do you know anything about getting her a present?" I looked at the small piece of paper with Chief written on it. My stomach did nothing to help calm my fears as a wave of butterflies constantly flipped the more I looked at the paper. I folded it down the middle and put it in my coat pocket. 

"Don't know anything about the Chief. You know how private she is. I'm surprised she even joined the secret Santa this year. Usually she's too bah humbug!" Mao continued to talk to himself, stopping for a quick second when he goes to drink. "Last guy who got her as secret Santa got fired. Immediately." 

I huffed momentarily, turning my attention to Hunter and Robi.   
"Anything useful from you or is break ending early today?" I crossed my arms over my chest and sat back. My glare hardened on the two sat in front of me. 

"Well, I'm still standing by my theory that Chief likes you so do something cheesy." Hunter raised his hand and put one on his heart, being dramatic only caused me to roll my eyes. 

"Don't do something cheesy. You will end up dead." Robi tapped her chin. "Some office supplies? She works on _a lot_ of paperwork."

I shrug my shoulders, grabbing my coffee and finishing what was left of it.   
"I'll find something. Eventually." I get up and stretch slightly. "I better get going. I'm sure Chief's worried if I've gone and gotten myself attacked again so I've got to go check in." I check the time briefly and nod to the group. 

"Chief doesn't seem in a good mood so good luck." Hunter gives me a send off and I walk out of the cafe into the cold. 

Normally, it is a nice winter. A soft snow. But that's in the Fire Nation. In Republic City, although it may be industrial central, there's a heavy snowfall. The biting cold starts to get to me on my walk back to the station and I let out a shaky breath as soon as I step into the lobby. I grit my teeth on the way over to Chief's office. I would say hello to all the other officers as I pass but, I am actually freezing my ass off. 

A sharp breath escapes me as soon as i close Chief's door. A small laugh comes from the woman waiting for me.   
"Cold getting to you, firebender?" She's working on a stack of reports like usual and can only let out a small laugh in response to my glare. 

I make my way over to the office couch and throw myself down on it.   
"I don't know how you cope with this weather. It's so much more extreme compared with the Fire Nation." I sit myself up slightly and grab one of the smaller pillows to hug. "You know. Zuko had heaters. Even fire places. I don't understand how you don't have this technology, Lin." I let out a small grumble. 

Lin shifted, moving to grab her jacket from her chair.   
"If I give you my jacket, will you stop complaining?" She raises an eyebrow when she stands. I give her a smile as she meets my eyes. 

"Depends. You cuddling with me on the couch too?" I laugh a little and wink at the now reddening Chief. 

She makes it out like she's angry, crossing her arms and furrowing her eyebrows.   
"You want the jacket or not?" I can't help but laugh even more. Even though the Chief scares so many people, Lin is just so perfect to tease. 

"Come on then. Your firebender is getting colder." I cross my arms over myself and imitate a shiver. It's enough to make Lin walk over with her jacket and hand it to me. As I grab the jacket, my hand brushes against hers and I draw my hand back. "Spirits, Lin. You're colder than me!"

Lin makes a small hum and continues to hold out the jacket for me.   
"And? Take the jacket, y/n." I keep my eyes on hers, squinting my eyes with a glare. "I know what you're thinking and you better not." She gives a glare straight back as I slowly reach for the jacket. I eventually grab the jacket but I don't move my hand for a second. Reaching further up and grabbing her hand, I pull her down into me and onto the couch. 

I take the jacket and toss it over her shoulders to keep her on my front. She lets out a small grumble and just accepts whatever mess I've just put her in.   
"You'll be thanking me later, trust me." My hands move under the make shift blanket and wrap around her waist, keeping her warm. 

She lets one of her hands hang off the edge of the couch and the other rests on my chest.   
"How long do I have to stay here?" I feel how hot her face is through my jumper, laughing slightly. 

"Well, I know how much you love to work so at least five minutes. I need to make sure Rpublic City's Chief of police doesn't freeze to death." I close my eyes and lean my head back into the couch, trying to rest. I feel one of Lin's fingers tap my chest and I hear the click of the door. "Locking doors?"

"I don't want any officer coming in and seeing us right now. It would be a huge scandal, y/n." Her head moves to rest her cheek on my chest, almost listening for my heartbeat. 

"Mm." I feel myself drifting off but move one of my hands up Lin's neck and start to play with her hair in an effort to stay awake. She lets out a soft hum as my nails scratch against her head.

"If you fall asleep, I will be waking you up with a rock in your face." My eyes flutter open and I look down to see her with her own eyes closed. 

_Fuck, she's cute. No one should be allowed to look like this. So—...perfect._

"I could say the same for you but, you need the rest." I hear another hum come from the woman lying on top of me and smile. 

"I won't." Despite the determination in her voice, Lin was the first to fall asleep. I didn't complain at the sight of a perfect, strong woman sleeping on my chest. Her hair fell over her face slightly, her features softening to a face I had never seen before. I took the sight in and eventually closed my eyes to have a small nap of my own. 

——————◇◇◇——————

Christmas came around faster than I would've liked. I held a small wrapped box tightly in between my hands as I walked into the station. I take a deep breath in and let it out slowly to try and calm my nerves. 

_Just a secret Santa. Giving a present to Chief. Chief. The one who makes me this nervous in the first place. Hah..._

I take another breath before I make my way over to Lin's office and knock on the door. I fix the Santa hat I wore on my head, making sure it doesn't fall or isn't wonky. The door unlocks and I walk in with the present under my arm. 

Lin meets my eyes and moves a wrapped box off of the desk as fast as she could.   
"Y/n. Morning." She tries to regain her Chief persona. 

"Morning. I— uh, I've got this for you." I step into the office and walk over to place the box in front of her. "I had you as my secret Santa. Hope you like it." My lip suffers as I bite it when I watch her grab the present. She begins to unwrap it, careful to not tear my delicate wrapping. I had left a note on the top of the box before she opened it. 

"Remembered that you liked this. Use this note as a voucher for a free day with me and I'll do all the paperwork you missed. P.s, I'll drink it with you if you want any company." Lin read the note out loud before carefully unboxing whatever I had wrapped. "Fire whiskey. Not bad, not bad at all y/n." 

I let out a sight of relief at her words, fist bumping myself in my little celebration.   
"I'm glad you like it. It took me most of the week to think about what to get you." I confess and go to sit in the chair in front of Lin's desk. 

She bites lightly at her own lip as she looks over at me. The box is placed to the side and another wrapped box is placed on the table.   
"I got you something as well." She leans against her hand and watches as I take the box into my hands. 

"Who did you get for your secret Santa then?" The box is wrapped just perfectly, it's contents are softer than my present to her but she still managed to give it a solid structure. 

"I actually got you as well." I laugh at first but soon realise she wasn't lying. I settle down with just a smile on my face. 

"Fate works in mysterious ways, huh?" Lin gives back a small smile of her own, softening for me to see. I finally unwrap the present. It's a gloves and scarve set but cat themed. "Cats?"

Lin almost face palms herself.   
"It's stupid. I know. But I just remember you talking about cats before and then you're always cold so—"

"It's perfect. It's actually really cute, Lin." My comment seems to fluster her slightly. She takes a moment to pause and I can almost see the cogs turning in her head as she processes what I've said. 

"Really? I thought it would be a little too... cheesy? Or something." Her eyes tear away from mine, looking over at the whiskey I had given her. 

I'm too busy to notice her pick up the note and try to hand it to me as I put on the gloves and scarf. I can't help but smile at the small toe beans on the gloves.   
"Lin. Lin look. Toe beans." I don't look up, just poking and prodding at the little extra plush on my fingers. 

"You going to accept this note or not?" The note waves frantically back and forth as she tries to get my attention. I look up and rub my neck as I grab it. 

"So this means you want company then?" Lin gives me a nod and she looks over the whisky box one more time. "Are we going to yours or mine?" 

Her eyes seem to dance at the thought.   
"Mine."

——————◇◇◇——————

That's how I found myself bundled up on Lin's couch with her on top of me. Lin reaches for a half drunk glass of whiskey on her coffee table and I grab it for her, setting mine on the floor. She mutters a thank you before taking a sip from her glass.   
"Y/n." She sets her glass next to mine. Her hand goes to cup my cheek. 

The whiskey or the touch causes my breath to hitch.   
"Yes, Lin?" Her cheeks seem rosier than they should be as she leans towards my face. 

"I want to know what your lips taste like." She catches me off guard, making my heart skip a beat. Her eyes are glued to my lips and refuse to look up at my eyes. 

I move to sit up slowly, careful to not go too fast to make either of us sick. My hand rests on her cheek and traces her scar.   
"Go on." I spoke as soft as I could. She leans in the rest of the way and meets my lips. At first I just enjoy the feeling of her lips on mine. Hers is incredibly soft, alluring. Our kiss heats as her hand moves to grab the back of my neck and my hand tangles in her hair. I can taste the slight sweetness of the whiskey on her lips, thankful that the drink gave her enough courage to kiss me. The drink only adds more fire to my want for her and I pull her body flush to mine. She lets out a small noise as I do, biting at my lower lip as she parts. 

"Nothing can happen tonight. I'm going to have a long day at work tomorrow and I don't want to go in sore." She uses her hands to push me down, by my shoulders, back into the couch. I hum as I'm pushed down. Although I won't be getting any action tonight, I'm just glad to be able to spend time with her. She grabs the blanket that had falled off of her shoulders and wraps us both with it. I keep my arms wrapped around her, holding her. 

"Merry Christmas, Lin." My hand moves to smooth out some of her stray hairs. 

She quickly reaches up to give me a kiss before resting her head on my chest.   
"Merry Christmas, y/n. I've enjoyed today. With you."

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas !!  
> Don't get too drunk guys >;)


	6. so, dinner?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While working towards another clue, Chief calls you in to explain details about the killer. You finally find out how much you actually enjoy spending time with her. A want to have a relationship or a simple crush has been hard to tell the difference for quite a while for you. Maybe spending time with her after hours would be a good idea. You take your chance and ask her to go to eat. Making sure this is only a meal, she agrees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 坦 means calm, composed, level (it will make sense near the end !!)
> 
> wow I had fun writing this one ;)

——————◇◇◇——————

The events of yesterday still plagued me. So much so that my head slammed on my desk again. A groan made it's way through me. 

_Stupid mornings. Can I have one normal day without thinking about her? It was one night. She won't let anything happen again._

My head lifted from the papers that had cushioned my forehead. It featured a mix of Fire Nation work, notes and resources for the new murder. So much for trying to keep organized. 

The door opened and my eyes flicked to a familiar police uniform.  
"Chief wants to talk to you. You haven't gotten yourself in trouble again, have you?" The snarky and, frankly, hard to work with earthbender stood in my doorway. 

My face couldn't bring itself to smile over at her, instead turning my attention to sorting through the papers.  
"Not that I can think of, Ro. She in a good mood?" I separated the papers while she twirled a piece of hair by her face. 

I didn't mind Robi coming in from time to time but the people who followed if she lingered too long very easily got on my nerves.  
"I think she's—" 

"Ro! Come quick! Mao is in serious trouble!" A grumble came out of me as Hunter made a special appearance. The loud tones of his shrill voice shook my eardrums. He was an earthbender like Robi, somehow even more excitable than her as well. 

"What did he do?" Robi made her voice a harsh whisper. I tried to sort through the papers quicker, putting notes and resources together for the more tolerable earthbender. I rose from my seat and grabbed my suit jacket from my chair. I wore one of my old suits, a lavish black suit that helped accentuate my body. It was pretty easy to tell how muscular I am with how tight the fit was. "What do you mean he pissed Saikan off?" 

"He pranked him." The pair did seem to get a small laugh out of me. Although they might be massively unlikeable, the trio got into some pretty stupid situations. The short time I had been here I had been able to witness Chief chew into them for actually making a dumpster fire, trashing the training room and even getting drunk on patrol. Each of these situations had started with a bet and I couldn't be more thankful for the real RCPD experience. 

I made my way over to the pair and managed a small smile.  
"Have fun dealing with Mao. I'll be on my way to Chief's office now." The pair scurried away as Hunter lead Robi away and I had the chance to walk over to Chief's door. I neatened the papers in my hands before knocking and walking in. 

"L/n. I wanted to talk to you about the case." Last name basis and she didn't dare to look up from the paperwork she had been writing on. Her glasses slowly sink down her nose as she works. With a sigh, I shut the door and sat in a chair. 

"I'm guessing about yesterday?" I flicked through the papers to just double check I had all the documents I needed for the sudden meeting. 

Chief cleared out her throat before looking up at me.  
"Yes. Yesterday." Her eyes kept eye contact with mine for a little while before she had to break away. I see her cheeks tint slightly at the mention. 

_Should I tease her? I— . . . I could. But we have the case to work on._

I brought up a sheet of paper with notes written scribbled on it. My eyes squinted slightly as I tried to read my midnight writing.  
"Well. We're looking for someone with potentially a medical background. The cuts seen on the body were used to keep the person alive for as long as possible. Until the cut in the tongue. Since there's such an important vein in the tongue, the victim definitely bled out from that final cut. 

Moving onto the snake imagery at the scene, cutting the tongue like that is obviously calling him a snake. He probably said something he wasn't supposed to or tipped someone off. The image of the snake of the coffee table means that the killer thinks the police are too stupid to figure that out." 

As I finish my point, I look up to see Lin narrowing her eyes at me. Looks like that last quip got her back into Chief Beifong.  
"What else can you tell me about the snakes?" 

"Snakes mean multiple things like rebirth or guardianship but in this context, it's used more maliciously. Here it means lies, vengefulness and being mean-spirited. The killer intended to show the journalist off as what the killer thought he truly was." I shuffled through the papers to find a specific one, putting it in front of Lin. 

"And this is?" She moved to put her glasses properly back in place as she lifted the paper to have a proper look at it. 

"A copy of my notes. It should help you identify a killer." I could feel the chill of the room catch up to me. Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms to try and salvage some of my own body heat. 

_How does she not freeze up in that armour of hers? Isn't it metal?_

"Not bad." She seems too busy looking at the notes but I take my chances. 

"Lin?" I can feel my palms start to get sweaty. There's an untamed ocean of butterflies that swarm my stomach. 

"Hm?" She doesn't pay much attention, keeping her eyes locked on a word while trying to figure out what it said. I see her eyes squint at the paper as she tries to work out my half asleep doodling. 

"If you haven't eaten yet, do you mind joining me for dinner? There's this traditional Fire Nation place I see on my way to work in the mornings." I look off to one of her windows and smile to myself. 

"What does the place look—" She takes a pause as she looks over to me and I move my hands down from the crossed position I had put them in. Placing one on my inner thigh, the other rests on the buckle of my belt. The sky seems slightly overcast but it's a nice day for winter. I catch myself outlining clouds with my own sun glazed eyes. "...like."

"It's a small place near my house actually. It's. Cute." With my eyes travelling back to her, I catch her staring. Chief moves the paper up and manages to cover the bottom half of her face from my line of sight. Her eyes go straight back to my notes. 

"If I go with you, there better be no funny business. I will throw you out of the restaurant myself." Her threat seems empty. To me, at least. Her jade flicks up and meet mine. I give her a smile. The best one I can make up. 

"Of course. I wouldn't dream of embarrassing the Chief of police. We are taking my motorbike there though." I pick up my papers from her desk. As I lean in to pick them up, I wink at her. Her hands grip the paper slightly tighter. "I'll be in my office, when you're on break you can come 'round." 

She doesn't say anything to me, just glaring over my notes. I let out a small laugh and head for the door. As soon as I close it, the door locks. I take a small moment to myself to just wipe the sweat off of my palms before heading to my office without interruption. 

_**You gonna mess this up as well?** _

_For once in my life, shut the fuck up. Let me enjoy the time I get to spend with her._

——————◇◇◇——————

My eyes shut on their own as I lean back in my chair with the heaters in my office turned on full. I unbutton my shirt as my mistake brings a groan out of me. It's bad enough that Lin's office is absolutely freezing but here I was, creating an even bigger mistake. My hands trail along my sides and bring my shirt to my sides, showing off all the scars I've been able to accumulate over the years. One scar runs from the middle of my pectoral onto the other with a scar intersecting the older tissue near the end. Another, more interesting, scar seems to make the shape of a capital 'a' just by my abs on my side. The last scar able to be seen from my front is a small cut just above my belt buckle. Small beads of sweat began to form and run along my body as my firebending ability does nothing to help me cool down. 

My door clicks open and a few metal steps echo around my office before the door is slammed behind whoever entered. 

_Whoever it is is about to get a show. Now, I can't tell who it is but, spirits, please be Lin. I want to get into that pretty head of hers._

I pretend I didn't hear them come in and put my left hand behind my head. As I move, my muscles become more prominent and stretch as my shirt falls off of my shoulder slightly. The person clears their throat and I hear the clink of metal armour. 

_Lin._

My face can't help but show a small smile and it's my other hand's time to move. I bring it down my body slowly, trailing over my abs and tracing the small scar by my belt buckle. My hand continues down as I pull on my belt to show off my v line even better.  
"Y/n. Y/n wake up." Lin takes longer than predicted to speak. My eyes open slowly and my smile fades as I meet her eyes. 

"Mm. Yes, Lin?" I see her face with a similar blush to yesterday. I scratch my stomach and watch as she taps her arm to turn the heaters down. 

I start to roll my sleeves down and button them correctly.  
"Do you want to eat or not?" I let out a hum and go to button up my shirt and throw my suit jacket over my shoulders. She leaves the office quickly and I soon follow, deciding to put my suit jacket on properly on the way out. 

The sun was long gone and a sudden chill took the place of the overwhelming heat of my office. I break the silence between us, deeming the previous silence as something comfortable.  
"You ever ride on a motorbike before?" I see her cheeks light up and I'm able to feel the light warmness she puts out. 

"Yes." She tried to keep her Beifong glare on as she spoke. 

"Right, I'm sure you're happy to take a ride on my bike again." I give her a wink before walking towards my beautiful mode of transportation. Before I can take another step, the ground moves up and I'm forced to trip over the new hill in my path. I grumble slightly and dust myself off as I get up. Lin has a small smile plastered on her face and my eyes catch up to hers with a glare. "Watch it, Beifong. I'll get you back if you start something like this." My tone darkens and the features of my face sharpen, my eyebrows knitting together. I see her gulp, her face turning a deep red colour and I allow myself to let out a laugh. 

She grumbles to herself as we both get on the bike and I start it up.  
"How far away is it?" I grab my keys and start the bike up. 

"Not far, only a few minutes. Hold on tight alright?" I look over my shoulder to look at her and I'm greeted by her softened face. She looks at me with this slight pink to her cheeks and I can't help but smile at the woman behind me. Her hands moved from the crossed position over her chest to rest on my waist. She seems to hum as she nods her head. A pang goes through my heart but it's not unpleasant at all. I can't describe the feeling that she gives me. Something along the lines of a day out at a fair having just tasted your first cotton candy or having completed a new hobby. I look away and the smile doesn't fade. It stays on my face as I drive and I feel the air tangle itself with our forms. As I move through the maze of cars, she tightens her hold on me and her arms wrap around my waist fully. Her chin rests on my shoulder. 

_She shouldn't be this cute. Anything but a cute Chief is what I need right now. But . . . maybe she can be my exception._

I soon find a parking space in front of a small Fire Nation restaurant. It's decorated with a wooden entrance painted shades of red and some gold. A simplistic design of flames makes it out to be something like home.  
"I've been here before. Nice and quiet." Chief mumbled to herself as we got off my bike. I bit my lip slightly as it was shown as a traditional Fire Nation, run by Fire Nation, restaurant. For once, I feel my heart begin to quicken. 

_**They're going to know who you are. Hide it.** _

My burned hand snakes it's way into my pocket. My sleeve stops short of my wrist and it's not enough to draw attention away from me. The first thing that I think of I do, grabbing the Chief's hand with my free one and leading us both in.  
"Come on, you can look at the outside of this place after we've eaten. I'm starving." I stick my tongue out at her as I use my shoulder to push open the door. Her face seems to flush at my actions and I can't help but laugh at the usually grumbly Chief being this flustered throughout the whole day. The thought of the restaurant continues to make my heart rate skyrocket. It starts to pump up to my ears and become all I can hear. 

I don't let go of her hand once we're in the building, running my thumb over her skin to try to entice her into staying with me. I know it's bad. But I'm saving both of us here. Maybe I can work out my own feelings about her if I do this.  
"Table for two?" A waitress dressed in traditional Fire Nation garb greets us. I can barely make out her words. The colder hand I pulled into the restaurant squeezes mine. I take a quick blink and then nod my head, letting some stray hairs fall out of place and over my face. 

_Can she feel my heart?_

We're lead to our seats without another word and I take the time to take a deep breath in to calm the still rising heart rate in my chest. My eyes wander around the small seating area and see next to no one. Only an elderly couple sat cooped up in the side seem to be the customers here. I finally let go of Lin's hand and take my seat at the table and she takes hers across me. We give the order of our drinks and are left to look through the menu.  
"Y/n. You alright? You haven't said much since we came in." Lin looks over her menu at me and I lean back in my seat, placing my right hand out of the way of everyone's line of sight and under the table. 

My eyes flick over at her and I coo at her.  
"Awe, Chief's worried about me? Don't think too much into it, I'm alright. Just. Tired." At first she seems outraged by my comment, face burning and eyes boring into my spirit, but I see her soften as I continue to talk. Her eyes tear themselves away from mine and she takes the time to look through the menu. 

"Sleep earlier. I don't want you napping in your office or mine all the time." Her voice is almost down to a mumble, only loud enough for me to hear. 

I brought my left hand up as I placed my menu down and partly covered my face. Remembering when I fell asleep in her office, my cheeks lit up lightly. She seems to catch my movements and my blush as she smiles to herself while looking through the menu. I let out a small laugh. 

_Cute._

I bring my hand up from under the table and place it in plain sight. The waitress shouldn't come over if she sees Lin still looking through her menu. Lin moves one of her hands off of the menu and onto the side, resting her elbow on the table. It's tempting to just reach over and hold her hand but I put the thought away.  
"Would you like to order?" The waitress comes over and in a panic, I move my hand to grab Lin's, putting her hand on top. Her face has a light dusting of pink and I can't blame her. I shouldn't need to use her like a cover up and should just wear gloves like any other normal person trying to run away from their own triad. 

"Yes, I'll have fire noodles and a side of dumplings. Lin?" I try and make out a normal interaction and Lin seems to get the gist. She orders her food and as the waitress takes our menus, I move my free hand over to cover the rest of my wrist before she can make out any scarring. 

After the waitress has left, I let out a breath I had been holding.  
"Y/n. What is going on? Your heart is like a rabbit's." Lin leans in to speak to me. I just lower my head onto my arm and just take in deep breaths. 

"I'll explain after we leave. It's complicated, Lin." My eyes close by themselves and I make sure all I can feel is the pressure of my head on my arm and Lin's hand. Her hand turns in mine so I can run my thumb over her palm. My thumb follows a pattern of '坦' on her palm and I focus on the heat of her body decreasing with each stroke. It takes a while, but I finally ground myself and look up to see a slight smile. 

——————◇◇◇——————

Lin finishes her meal before me and takes a jab at me for it while I'm finishing off my meal. The waitress comes over as soon as we're both finished.  
"Sir? We're going to have to ask you to leave. Our customers have complained about—"

I hold my hand up at her and pull out my wallet to pay.  
"I understand. I won't cause you anymore trouble." I take a glance at Lin who seems more confused than anything and we both leave the restaurant. A long sigh comes from me and Lin elbows me in the side. 

"Uh. What the flameo was that all about? Did you just pay and leave or did we just get kicked out?" I let out a hum in response and walk over to my bike. "Seriously." Lin huffs, crossing her arms to her chest and following me. 

"It's... nothing. Lin. Come on, it's late and we should get back." My legs seem to be moving automatically, placing me on my bike. 

Lin stays put in her place in front of my bike.  
"I'm not leaving with you until you just tell me what the hell happened in there." Her eyes squinted, glaring down at me. Recognising she won't fold, I choose to tell her some part of the truth. 

"Fire Nation natives know who I'm associated with. The people I'm associated with are really bad people that have done some pretty bad things to other villages and even some towns. I'm too tired to tell you the rest. Just. Get on so we can finish work." I avoid looking at her and just start up my bike. After a little while of silence, she makes her way over and takes her seat on the bike. Her hands stay wrapped around me waist and I just drop her off at the station before saying a quick goodbye and heading home for the night. 

My hands grip the handlebars tighter and my eyebrows furrow. There's this overwhelming sense of dread that fills me as I make my way down my street. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate writing fight scenes so the next few might not be any kind of good writing but we'll see >:)


	7. Surprise visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything seems fine as you come back home. Someone decides to attack you while you make tea. After apprehending whoever decided it was a good idea to stab a fire bender, Chief Beifong makes a visit. This is a huge step in the investigation and you both find out there may be more than one person on the loose. President Raiko tells the Chief off after letting you get hurt. Since Zuko trusted the Chief with you, she has to keep an even closer eye on you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write ngl :○

——————◇◇◇——————

The house was as quiet as usual when I came home. After locking the door, I felt a heat signature I didn't recognise. Whoever they were, their body heat was hot enough to tell they were in good shape to fight. 

_**Whatever you do now doesn't matter to them. Act like everything's normal. When they attack, you have every right to put them down. Just like how you were taught.**_

I took my shoes off at the door and walked around to the kitchen, taking my jacket and shirt off so I didn't have anything constricting my movement. It may be risky but, I need to be able to move around my own house to find things I need to use to apprehend them. I put my clothes on the counter as I then begin to make myself a cup of tea.   
"Chamomile. It should calm my nerves." I talk to myself and feel the unidentifiable heat shift from their place and move around my house. My fingers tap while resting on the counter and I stretch my arms above my head, creating an opening and stretching my muscles. If I create an opening, they can be enticed into attacking faster and maybe I can get it over with sooner. 

As I set my arms down, I watch the kettle boil. Steam shot out and a some type of sharp object is thrown at my head. I move on instinct, bringing my head back but not fast enough. The blade cuts through my cheek and the bridge of my nose. It places itself firmly into my wall. My eyes flick over to see my attacker, a sash of knives decorate their body, and grab the knife out of the wall. The attacker readies themselves and seems to taunt me. 

_**I'm going to kill them.** _

Using my firebending, I begin a small run towards them. Flipping over from one to the other foot, I bring my foot down with an extension of fire. The floor boards scorch slightly and it takes me a second to realise they had moved out of the way. They bring out two knives and arm themselves before charging at me. I back up, blocking one of their stabs with my left arm and a knife. I hiss slightly at the sting but kick out to push them to the floor. The knife digs deeper into my arm as they fall back and I let out a slight growl.   
Beginning to feel the adrenaline in my system, I quickly grab an apple from my kitchen and aim for their head. The attacker thinks fast. The apple's caught on one of their knives and they throw it back as they try to get up.   
I seem to grasp onto the gravity of the situation as I start to feel some fear kick in. I'm able to feel the beating of my heart as blood drips down from my face onto my chest. I take a breath and my throat feels dry. I feel myself frantically grab out to the attacker as they run towards me. In one fluid motion, I get them onto the floor and I land myself on their back. I knock the air out of their lungs and bring my bloody arm around their neck to continue to block their air supply. They gasp and struggle against me, trying to stab me from behind them but it doesn't work. It takes a couple more seconds before they give up and collapse. Then everything stops. 

I'm horribly aware of the deep breathing and panting I've made myself do. My throat seems even drier than when I last checked. My lips are badly chapped. I let them go from my grasp and leave their limp body on the floor as I stand up. My leg reminds me to never again slam it down onto wooden floorboards as I try to make my way over to the phone I had next to my bookshelves.   
"RCPD. Chief Beifong speaking." She didn't sound too happy about being called this late and I couldn't blame her. It surprised me she was even working as I genuinely dropped her off less than half an hour ago and her shift ended a little after. 

"It's y/n. I've just been attacked in my own home." I look down to my right hand. I'm still holding the knife. I grip it tighter and furrow my eyebrows. 

"I'll be there in less than five." I'm able to hear a distant shout to another officer as she hangs up the phone. I put the phone away and take a deep breath before making my way back into the front room to find the unconscious assassin. I lean against my counter and put the knife down as I watch over the body. 

_Did I kill them? Are they dead? They aren't moving much._

_**Does it really matter?** _

I chew at my lip and walk over to them. There's a full face mask on their face and I move it slightly to press into their neck with my fingers to check for a pulse. It's faint, but it's there. I let out a sigh of relief and step back to stand back against the counter. The next few minutes seemed to drag on but I'm soon taken out of my thoughts by a violent knocking on my door. I run over to open it and see Chief and another officer.   
"They're just on the floor by my kitchen." I turn and head off to where the body is and wait to head the two officers follow. Chief takes a little while longer to step into the house after seeing me walk away but shuts the door as she walks in. The other officer is in a detective's uniform, shirt black hair and gold eyes darker than mine. I'm a little taller than him as well. 

"Mako. Arrest them and take them out to a holding cell. Me and Dr.y/n will be questioning them later." Chief barks out an order and officer Mako nods, trying to wake them up before arresting them. They stir slightly and I watch them stand up in a haze. I raise my eyebrow at her using my doctorate and my formal title. She hasn't done that before. 

"What about you Chief? You not going with him?" A huff comes out of me as I push myself back into the counter. I cross my arms over my chest and look over at her. She has her arms firmly planted behind her back. 

"I'm going to be taking you to a healer. The satomobile should be used to transport criminals. Not used as a lift." Lin turned to look at me, her eyes travelling around to look at the new cuts on me. 

"I'm not going to a healer. I've got a perfectly good first aid kit here. Zuko prepares for anything." I finish speaking with a slightly upturned lip, almost pouting. 

Lin closes her eyes for a moment, sighing while her features steel over.   
"Of course, Zuko prepares for anything." She turns her attention back to Mako and hands him the keys to the satomobile before speaking again. "Take them back quick. And keep an eye on them. I'll be coming back with him later on in the night for interrogation."

Mako nods.   
"Yes, Chief." He moves fast, holding my attacker firmly in place in front of him. Lin opens the door from the kitchen and closes it behind the officer. 

"And why are you still here? I can stitch myself up." I move from my spot and go to search for the first aid kit in some storage closet in the living room. 

"Because you definitely can't stitch up your arm properly. It's a weird placement that's hard to get to without another person. Trust me, I've learned the hard way." Lin kept her arms crossed as I came back and sat at the kitchen table. She follows and pulls a seat to get ready to stitch me up. 

I let out a small grumble about it as I thread my needle and hand it to her in defeat. She looks at me and I sigh, handing her a disinfectant wipe to clean up the mess. I wince as the wipe makes contact with my cut.   
"So how did you learn the hard way then?" I lean my head back as she continues to clean up my arm. 

"Hm? What?" Her jade looks over to me and I feel her gaze shift to the dried blood that had dripped down my face. 

"I know you have scars on your arms, so did you try and stitch an awkward one on your arm?" She sits back and pulls away from me as she folds the wipe over to continue cleaning the second half of the deep cut. Even as she moves away, I feel the heat of her body rise as I mention her body. 

_She forgot all about it and I had to go and remind her that we've slept together._

"Basically, yes. I originally got injured while in raid of a triad back during my detective years. I was still a rookie in my eyes so I didn't ask for help." She comes back to make contact and I try to suppress the wince this time, trying to make myself look tough. 

"So you've always been this stubborn, Lin?" I poke fun at her, bringing my head down to look at her. 

She scoffs.   
"How do you think I got the job and still have the job? I have a chance of stepping down whenever I want since I'm now so old." Lin puts the wipe to the side and takes out the needle to start stitching me up. I move to rest my cheek on my free hand on the table. She gets to work immediately and I watch the intense features of her face focus. 

"Well you're not _that_ old. Old is like, 70 or even 80. You're younger, last time I checked." I get a small grunt out of her as she's too focused on doing a good job. I could say anything and I don't think she'd actually take in what I'd say. "I'm kind of glad you stayed back. I'm starting to enjoy spending time with you." The words come out of me as I watch her. A lock of her hair falls from it's place and almost in front of her face. It leads me down to the sharp jawline of her face and then her soft lips. My eyes study the shape of her lips, the cupid's bow that was absolutely perfect on her, and shift to her eyes. Her eyes managed to shimmer in the house just lit by moonlight. I hadn't switched the lights on or closed my curtains so the whole house flooded with the shining moon. The light green in her eyes held onto small flecks of gold, making a mosaic masterpiece for whoever she wanted to see. 

"Mm. You're not too bad yourself." Her words knock me out of my trance and I feel my mouth forming a smile. I feel a warmness in my heart that I thought I had lost. It's not much longer until she finished her work and she gets up to reach for another wipe. Ripping the small packet, I keep my eyes and watch her. She reaches for my face as she stands and I flinch on instinct. She draws back and sits in her chair, pulling it forwards to reach for my face again. 

_Lowering herself to my eye level so my unconscious doesn't see her as a threat. She's smart._

I don't flinch this time and, instead, lean into her touch as I lift my head off of my hand. She cleans up most of my face before I see her gulp and begin go move down my body. Her eyes follow where her hands go and I have no complaints at all, letting her go wherever she wanted without moving a muscle. Her hands stop just a little over where the dried blood ends. The her eyes flick up to meet mine and her hands follow the quick movement. One of her hands cup my cheek to keep my head on place as she starts to clean up the bloody cut on my face. The cut isn't as deep as the one on my arm but it's deep enough to cause a good sting. I close my eyes as I feel myself leaning further into her touch and my shoulder relax as she continues. I feel her come closer to me, moving up the bridge of my nose. She makes a quick once over to make sure she got all of the blood off of my face and she puts the wipe down. There's a loss of heat as she pulls her hand away and my eyes open to meet hers as she leans back in the chair.   
"Thanks. I never thought the next time I'd see you I'd end up in this position." I laugh at myself, keeping it light and soft. 

"Tell me about it. Keep yourself out of trouble or Zuko will hand my ass on a platter. Now go put a shirt on or something. We're going back to the station for interrogation." Lin got up from her chair and begun to clean up the table. I got up, finding out how close she had put her chair. My leg was close to being between hers and I could feel her heat signature very clearly in the new close proximity. As I moved out of her way, my hands lightly gripped her waist. 

"I'll be back in five then." I was able to take quite a few steps away from her before I couldn't feel the heat her body produced without focussing on her. 

——————◇◇◇——————

After the interrogation of criminal no#199, I sat in Chief's office with my black slacks and a black tank top on. I had chosen to bandage my injured arm so I had no chance of opening it and because I didn't want my arm to hurt anymore in the freezing cold. After asking around the station, I found an officer who was willing to give me one of their cigarettes and I was currently smoking it in the office. I stayed in thought about the whole incident before a person came to my side, leaning against Chief's desk. Lin puts down a small ashtray as she comes into view and I use it to shake some of the ash off.   
"They said they came from a group. You have any enemies chasing you down like this?" Lin's words seemingly blanketed me in this newfound feeling of relief. Her voice did wonders for my nerves. 

"No. At least, not anymore. There was this one group that hunted me down nearing the end of my travels because I was a traitor to the crown or something. They didn't last long as myself and Fire Lord Izumi ended up hunting them down ourselves. But these people share two different ideals." I move the cigarette to my lips and bring the smoke into my mouth before pulling it into my lungs. I let the smoke linger as I close my eyes to let it out through my mouth. 

"Off topic but, I didn't know you smoked." Lin kept her eyes on me the entire time. My slouched posture didn't help the image of me nearly dressed and smoking indoors. 

"I do from time to time. It's just a thing for my nerves or stress. Once in a fortnight kind of thing, y'know?" I speak with my eyes glued to the cigarette between my pointer and index finger. I bring it to my lips again as I decide I miss the taste of the tobacco. I'm more desperate for a drag this time, pulling it straight into my lungs and burning the back of my throat in the process. 

"I'll leave you to it then. I have to go collect the report and then some work around the station before I can head home for the night." Lin doesn't move. She hesitates before starting to step away. 

My hand moves by itself and I stop her.   
"Can you— can you stay? I just. I don't want to be left along to my thoughts. I'd rather spend time with you." I look up at her and see how she looks without the Beifong scowl on her face. She almost looks worried about me. 

A small smile greets me. She steps back to sit up on her desk.   
"If you want to." I don't let go of her hand and this time it isn't out of necessity. I just feel along the soft skin of her hand as I smoke. "Also. You can come in late to work tomorrow, I won't say anything. Only this once." 

"Thanks, Lin. Seriously." I flick some cigarette ash off and give her a smile as I do. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I end up coming in late but just as tired as usual. As I walk into Chief's office to just say a quick hello, President Raiko meets my eyes. There's a look of absolute rage on his face after seeing the state I'm in.   
"Are you serious, Lin?" He turns back to the hardened woman at her desk. 

"What?" She meets his tone, just as poisonous as his. I feel a bead of sweat on my forehead as I make the grand decision to step into the room. 

"Lord Zuko trusted us with one of his most prized men and he has a break in that leaves him like this? What's Fire Lord Izumi going to think?" He bites back at her quip, acknowledging me as some type of object in the Fire Lords possession. A sigh comes out of me as I head over to sit on the couch. 

_Hopefully their little argument doesn't last long._

"He's fine. I'm sure the Fire Lords expected something to happen to him. If you're so worried then I'll make sure he stays around me or another officer." Lin grumbles slightly. I lean back into the couch and close my eyes to try and pass the rest of the conversation. 

"Well you need to start doing your job right and protect him. The Fire Nation and now Republic City relies on him." Raiko hisses back at the Chief and I can immediately feel a change in her body temperature. 

"Will you shut up for once! I'll keep an eye on him Raiko! Spirits!" She raises her voice at him and I can't stop myself from flinching at the change of tone. I momentarily thank myself for closing my eyes so soon as I can feel a tightness in my throat. I clutch my right arm to my body, hiding it and protecting it. 

They continue to speak but I honestly don't pay any attention and just wait until Raiko leaves. I let my thumb trace over my cheek and hold it. Raiko slams the door behind him and my eyes flick open. Lin looks over at me. Her eyebrows are still knitted together until she looks over at me and motions for me to walk over.   
"Yes, Lin?" I walk up with my hands in my pockets, making sure not to get close enough so she couldn't see my glossy eyes. 

"Go and get your work for today. You'll be working in my office from now on." She moves to look around her own desk for her glasses and put them on before taking out the report from yesterday and a few files. 

I don't ask any questions, nodding my head before I leave.   
"I'll be back then."

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually going to go straight into planning for the next couple chapters so if you want me to write a specific scene, comment or hint at it ;)


	8. Your fighting stance.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Chief isn't convinced that you have the proper ability to fight. You obviously take this as an insult and you get to see the training room for the first time. You insist that she has the first hit. She gets to have a peak into the secret life you live behind being a psychologist. At the end of each fight, somewhat of a scandalous situation is made between the two of you.

——————◇◇◇——————

A couple days had passed and we both worked towards the case almost constantly. The cuts on my body were starting to heal nicely, the one on my face pushing the scabbing up and starting to scar under it while the stitches began to come out of my arm. I let out a groan and looked towards a clock mounted behind Chief on the wall.   
"Hey Lin? I'm just going to grab some coffee. You want a cup?" I felt it was time to give myself a break and stood up from the chair, rolling my sleeves up as I didn't plan on wearing my jacket out. 

"Hm? Sure." She didn't look up from her papers, more focused on writing. I sighed at the sight. I began to worry about her over the couple days as she seemed to work non stop, even going through her break and completely disregarding it even exists. I had to remind her to take one recently but she only put her pen down for at most five minutes before going back to work. 

I nodded and stepped out. Even if she wouldn't take her breaks, I could tempt her with coffee or some tea. I frequently went to the coffee machine so she could take a small break while doing work to have a bit of a talk or just sit and relax. But one thing I wasn't so fond of, human interaction with more than one person. As I approached the machine, I saw a few officers standing and talking by it. I sighed and steeled the features of my face while I walked over.   
"Excuse me." Moving my face still hurt and moving my cheek to move definitely hurt so I kept my voice down, limiting the muscle movement. I ended up intimidating the poor officers and they apologised before scurrying away to their desks. I made my way right over to the machine and grabbed two of the usual cups I put our coffee in. 

Someone came up behind me, poking me in the side. I grumbled and turned to the touchy earthbender.   
"Afternoon, y/n! I see the face is healing pretty well." Robi smiled up at me, the smile absolutely blinding me. She had been bringing up my facial injury at every conversation, even going as far as to gush about how cool I'll look with it healed, and having known her for so long I knew one of the boys would interrupt. I just hoped it was soon as I poured out some coffee. 

"Afternoon, detective Ro. Yes. Naturally, it should do that." I keep my stern look and low tone as I make Lin's coffee to her liking. It was nice to get to know how she liked her coffee or tea. On the first time to the machine, she showed me how to use it and on the second time, I had convinced her to make her coffee for her. It just became normal for me to bring her drink from then on. 

"You'll fit right in with the other badass cops here, no doubt." She sends a wink my way but I avoid looking at her, going back to the coffee. 

"Ro! Hunter's challenged you to a spar in the training room." Mao comes over and throws himself onto Robi. I laugh a little as I see them fight like siblings, Robi trying to shove Mao away while Mao tries to get a hug. 

"Mao! You're embarrassing me!" Robi whispers harshly at Mao. Mao is actually the twin of Hunter, although he works with waterbending instead of earthbending, and there's not much difference between the two of them. They constantly tease and joke with Robi, which can get a good laugh out of me at times, and I can often hear them sparring from the training room. 

I hum as I finish up making our two coffee's and look over at the two still fighting.   
"Nice to see you both but I better get back to work. I've got to convince the Chief to take a break." I grabbed the two cups, walking past them. 

"Alright bye then!" Mao shouted from the headlock Robi held him in. 

I knocked on the door with one of the cups.   
"Open up, Chief." I raise my voice and make sure she can hear me. Through and into the room, I'm able to detect the heat her body produces and see it spike upwards for a quick second before she fumbles around her desk. After a little while longer, she opens the door and I'm let in. "Took you long enough." I mumble down as I place her coffee by her and move to sit in my usual seat. I shift my seat towards her and lean back in the chair, letting out an audible breath on my way into the chair. 

"Zip it. You don't have much to say anyway, you spent quite a bit of time getting coffee." Lin grumbled as her eyebrows furrowed. She picked up her cup after a little more paperwork. 

_I think I've spent too much time in the safe zone. I think some teasing is in order._

"You wanting me to stay around you more, Lin? Already love me so much that even a second away from me pains you?" I lean forwards and rest my elbows on the desk. Her eyes begin to sharpen and glare straight at me. A laugh makes it's way out of me as I lean my cheek to my hand and take a sip of my coffee. My eyes dance as I watch her place face turn into something similar to a rose's. 

She catches on quite quick, hiding her face from my view with her hand and drinking her coffee.   
"I'm going to throw you out of the window." Lin growls in a low tone and I hum in response. I've already had this answer planned for moments just like this. 

"Kinky. I like." The words drip out with a sweetness to them, soaking in honey. I finish my sentence and Lin almost spits out her coffee. She stops herself before any can go out and her body makes her have a coughing fit instead. Her face is a deep red colour when she looks at me. 

" _Shut the fuck up_." Lin brings her voice down, bringing it to a harsh whisper as she reprimands me. I break into a smile and laugh slightly. She looks away from me and breaks eye contact, embarrassed. 

"Anyways, Ro and Hunter are going off to spar again." I hum as I drink my coffee. My attention shifts from Lin to some of the documents for our case as I give her some time to cool down. 

She growled slightly, grumbling to herself before speaking to me.   
"I'm going to have to check over the training room after they leave then. I need to make sure they dont break anything again." She looked down into her coffee cup, swirling it around. I wiped my top lip, licking the coffee off of my hand and paying more attention to the papers than Lin. 

"Oh I have an idea." I set down my cup and flick my eyes over to hers. She had already been staring. "How about we spar? You and me." My body moves on it's own and pushes me into the chair. 

"You? Do you have any experience fighting?" Lin raised an eyebrow. There was still that light dusting of pink on her face that made sure to keep the smile on my face. 

"Of course. I used to be guard dog to Zuko and some other people. Although now I'm just a criminal psychologist, I can still pack a punch Lin." I still felt confident enough in my ability to defend myself. After all, I wouldn't try to fight the Chief of police if I knew I couldn't take it. 

"Hm. Fine. When he training room is empty." Lin grumbled, crossing her ironclad arms over her chest and drinking. 

——————◇◇◇——————

We came into the training room and I took my shirt off upon entry, not wanting to burn anything. I had to hope my slacks would hold up to the heat of my fire as I had been wearing quite flammable material. I turned to some kind of machinery, placing my shirt on it while listening to hear Lin taking off her uniform. I looked over to see her already standing in the centre but just staring at my back. She looked away as soon as I caught her staring.   
"Ask it." I crossed my arms as my eyes narrowed to look at her. 

"What?" She almost sounded like she took offence to the question, becoming defensive and mimicking the way I stood. Once she had crossed her arms, I saw how well her tank top hugged on her figure. I had just noticed the unusual amount of skin the Chief showed off. I could still see her defined muscles. 

_Spirits is she hot._

"I know what you're thinking. Ask the question since I already know what it's going to be." I took one of my hands, waving it as I spoke. 

She hesitated slightly before I spoke. I can't blame her, I've shown her that I'm unpredictable and I'm sure she doesn't like me.   
"How did you get so many scars?" I nod in response. The question was a given. My back was decorated with whippings that left deep scars and the whole thing with my right arm. Then the rest of my arms had ever so small cuts on them from just flying pieces of metal or shrapnel. 

"Mm. I used to be Zuko's personal guard. Turns out, people would kill for that job. And even before that, I used to be in a group where I would be whipped as a punishment and the burn on my arm is also from them. It's the reason I can one hundred percent put you onto the floor, Chief Beifong." I slid in a wink, narrowly avoiding talking about the Jade Dragon and instead flirting. 

Her eyebrows furrowed and she seemed to breathe out steam at my jab.   
"Oh you are on. Hand to hand first two rounds. Then after warming up, we can use bending. That alright with you?" She still kept her stiffened brow as she spoke to me. I laughed slightly as I walked over to her. Putting myself into a strong stance with my elbows to my sides, Lin followed and took her stance. 

"Sounds good. I'll give you first hit, honey." I feel the corner of my mouth pull up and into a smirk. She let's out a light growl and I can't help but feel excited to fight. Even though the last time I had almost died, fighting was easily one of my favourite things to do as a kid.   
Lin shuffled in, bringing a jab out to aim for a body shot. I throw my hand out in response and smack her hand away as I grab her wrist and pull her to my side. Her stance doesn't let loose as I try to push her to the ground. I don't give her enough time to respond to my push, pulling her wrist as I push her shoulder to bring her into a headlock. She doesn't struggle much but she does pull on my arm. It obviously doesn't work and I tighten my hold on her instead. Her breath hitches and I fail to catch her leg kicking back, bringing us both to the floor. With me on top of her, I'm forced to release her from the headlock but still hold her arm firmly to her back. A quick motion from her hips and she's pinned me to the floor. I let a laugh loose and she looks at me like I'm crazy. The rumbling echoes through my body and I'm almost certain that she can feel it in her legs as she looks away from me for a quick second. "Good moves, Lin. Maybe I shouldn't go so easy on you." I laugh again and look over at the hands around my wrists. 

"Thanks for giving me first hit, y/n." She let's go of my wrists as she goes to sit up and stand. I bring my knees up and push her down, causing her to fall over me. I let out more of a rumble instead of a laugh. If her face wasn't already red before, it was now as my hands rest on her waist. 

"Don't go so soon, Lin. Spend some time with me." I brought by voice to a faint whisper, letting my breath travel to tickle her ear. Her breath hitches momentarily and I can fully feel the beating of her heart. Her eyes close and she let's out a small whine before shooting up from her position and getting off of me. 

"Psycho. We're here to spar. Think with your head, not with your dick dumbass." She grumbles in curses and I get up laughing. 

"I'm glad I got to hear you whine for me. Again." I grin and watch her growl. She runs at me, more focused on hitting me square in the face. I keep my smile as we begin the second round and I block her punch. She hits me fairly hard, it would definitely leave a bruise or some kind of mark. She goes in again for an uppercut and I bob out of the way. I move to her side and manage a body hit in. She grunts as she brings up her defences and takes a deep breath. I run towards her, ducking down low as I aim for another body shot. She does what I expect her to, taking my wrist and twisting my arm behind my back. I let out a small groan out of pain as the hold she has on me is quite tight. I plan to counteract her trapping me with what she did but I feel pressure against my legs. 

"Do you yield?" There's a mock victory in her voice and now my eyebrows knit together. I grit my teeth and send a glare towards her. I bring out a last resort move, falling back and making us slam down onto the floor. With the added pressure of me on top of her, she's forced to let go of my arm as I knock the breath out of her. I quickly flip myself and pin both her writs to the floor with one hand and the other is used to rest against her throat. 

My breathing is pretty rough after the fighting so I use it to my advantage. I lean next to her ear as I use a low tone, almost growl, in my voice.   
"Fuck— you're good at this." Her back arches slightly in response. She let's out a shaky breath through her mouth and I get off of her. "Come on then. We can use bending now." I turn away from her as I walk over to my starting position, stretching my arms above my head. 

Lin gets up with a grumble as she makes her way to her starting position.   
"I can only do one more round. Break ends soon." She places herself in a bending stance and I follow. I take a deep breath in and start to focus on my element. I try to connect to fire directly in the few seconds I have left. I get to know the heat, the destruction and creation of my bending element as I was taught. She starts off by picking a piece of earth from the ground and throwing it at me. I bring myself lower to the ground, protecting myself with a barrier of flame that manages to hold it's own against the rock. I use the new step to jump up and over towards Lin but she pulls a wall between me and herself. I'm still midair as she does this and I shoot fire from my hands to push me towards flatter ground. She doesn't put the wall down, instead pulling the piece of rock from earlier towards me. I try to move out of the way but she had me surrounded. I panic and think through too much and the rock manages to reach all sides of me and I have to use my own force to keep the rock from crushing me. I look around for a simple solution for me to leave and realise that she hadn't sealed the top properly. One knock on the rock and I realise how thin it is. If i can get a good shot, I can break through. I take a deep breath and risk it. I use my fire along with my fist as an extension of my body and use my bending to push me up into the air and towards Lin. As the walls meet eachother, I flip over Lin and bring fire around me much like a waterbender would. I pull the fire around me and push it towards Lin in a great fireball. She turns to look at me and then the fire and in the quick second before it touches her, I disperse it around her and into the air. I didn't want to burn her. "Damnit." She curses herself off as she hands the win over to me. 

I shoot her a smile and offer a handshake.   
"Even though you tried to kill me, good spar." She takes my offer and I pull her further in, grabbing her forearm as if it were one of my official spars. 

"You might have won today but I know I'm beating your ass next time." She grumbles as she holds onto my forearm tighter. 

"Mm. We'll talk in your office, Lin." I let go of her and pass by her to grab my shirt. As I pass, I lightly tap her arm. 

She grumbles and turns to hit me but she's a little late. Lin ends up slapping my ass with the back of her hand. It's strong enough to shoot me up into standing up as straight as I can.   
"I— sorry! I didn't mean to—!" I burst out laughing on the spot, wiping my eye as I turn to look at her. 

"Don't worry about it. Go do whatever you need to do and I'll meet you back in your office for work, yeah?" I look over at her and she's redder than I've ever seen her. Lin goes to look away almost immediately and crosses her arms. 

"Yeah— uh. I'll be there. Later." I look away from her to save her from anymore embarrassment and put my shirt on. She scrambles around the training room a little bit before bolting into the showers. I laugh to myself as I finish buttoning up my shirt and head off to the office. No one approaches me with the cold glare I set on my face as I walk around and into Chief's office. 

_Slapping asses. I could do anything right now. Take a nap. She won't say anything._

A long breath escaped from my lips and I flopped down onto the office couch. I pull an extra pillow to my body, holding it tight to me. I feel the adrenaline leave my body and it's not long until it's replaced with sleep. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't even supposed to add the slap but I seriously couldn't resist 😂🤣  
> Time to snooze >:))


	9. No breaks, huh?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The walk home is interrupted by a lovely group of people that try to make you free their friend by trying to kill you. Luckily, Chief wanted to walk you home so you've got great protection. The Chief gets to see you in action and you could not be in anymore pain. The group trying to kill important people within Republic City is revealed and now team avatar gets involved.

——————◇◇◇——————

I'm put back into the real world and start to feel the effects of sparing. I open my eyes and sit up as slow as I can, propping myself up as I hold a pillow close to me. My muscles scream out at me for not stretching properly.   
"Oh, you're up." A not so enthusiastic Chief looks over at me. I look over at her and then over her shoulder to the window. It's pitch black. 

"You can really pack a punch. I can absolutely feel everything." I shift to sit properly, discarding the pillow and putting it back. I hear a faint laugh from Lin and look up to her shaking her head as she works on paperwork. I make my way over there. It's more of a laboured step than anything. 

"I told you I would beat you some way or another. Looks like I put you down." She takes a quick glance over at me as I sit in front of her. I fall back into the chair and huff. 

"My ass hurts." I grumble and cross my arms. Her cheeks light up and she covers part of her face. 

_This isn't even me trying to get back at her. My ass is seriously sore._

"I— uh. I have some pain killers around here if you want some." I give her a curt nod and she starts to look through her desk drawers. It takes her a while but, she eventually finds some and gives them to me. I take them and the talk about pain is over. It's now time for work. But I don't want to do any. My eyes look up at the clock about Chief and spot that I'm able to leave soon. If I just wait half an hour more then I'm allowed to leave for the night. 

_Damn . . . I was out like a light._

I smile to myself and shift my attention to Lin. She works diligently and with purpose. Every word she puts down on paper is needed and I've never seen her make a mistake. It's kind of impressive, actually. But. Concerning.   
"Hey, Lin?" She's still to busy to look up at me and instead answers me with a hum. "Do you often work overtime?" I continue to watch how fast she writes. She finishes a sentence before looking up and talking to me. 

"Well. Yes. I have mountains of work to do and important cases of my own. Sometimes even meetings so the workload ends up increasing. Why?" Her head tilts slightly. I pay attention to her as a whole. Her eyes still hold a light to them even though she's stuck in what seems like an office job. 

"I just want to get to know you better. You know, as Chief. Ever since I got to work with you you've been working nonstop. It worries me." I breathe out and let the words fall off my tongue. Voicing my concerns, she fixes her glasses. 

"You shouldn't worry. I've been doing this my whole life. I'm sure I can handle it, y/n." She readies her pen to continue writing. But spares me another look incase I wanted to continue talking. 

And I did.   
"You can slap me or throw a rock in my direction but, it doesn't seem like you're managing your stress correctly Lin. As a colleague and a friend, I don't think I can stop worrying about you." I rub the back of my neck, not expecting me to suddenly talk about her well being. My words come as a shock to her and her eyes widen slightly before she returns back to her usual Chief demeanor. 

Lin grumbles slightly before answering me.   
"Fine. I'll take an early night tonight. Just let me get through a few more reports and I'll take you home." She gets back to work with a stiff brow. It's actually kind of cute how she grumbles and growls at my words sometimes. 

"Hold on. Take me home? You're walking me home?" I look at her with a brow raised. 

"I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you. Since you were attacked in the last week, Raiko has been reminding me to keep you safe _every_ day. So, yes I am walking you home." She looks up at me for a quick glance before going back to work. I move to sit forwards and rest my hand on my cheek. 

"Romantic." One corner of my mouth lifts into a sly smile. She just tuts at my one liner with a slight growl in her tone. 

"Zip it." I let out a soft laugh and my small smile turns into a proper one. I see a slight smile from her as she almost let's go of her steeled face. 

——————◇◇◇——————

It's a little over my official working hours until Lin is finally finished. She grabs her coat as she grumbles and picks up a few files for her to take home.   
" _No_. Put the files down, Lin." I stand with my arms crossed by the door and she meets me with a glare. "Down." I point my finger to the floor. She curses before setting the files down and walks over to me. 

"You're lucky you're sore from today's spar. Or else I would've thrown you out." Lin opens the door and continues to grumble to herself. 

"Alright, Chief grumpy." I follow after her and she sends me a glare straight away. Her daggers for eyes narrow themselves at me further as I laugh at her. We make our way out of the station before we speak again. 

She speaks quieter, trying to avoid talking to me.   
"I'm not grumpy." She walks next to me with her shoulders raised, her arms crossed and a slight pout. I can't help but laugh at her again. There's this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach as I look over at her to smile and laugh. It almost tickles me. I feel a tight grab in my chest. Something bright. Happy. 

"Is that a pout I see? Does Chief Beifong pout?" I lean over and elbow her in the side. She keeps her eyes ahead of her and refuses to look over at me. 

"No." She brings her arms further up as her pout becomes more pronounced. 

I sling my arm over her shoulder and pull her into my side for a quick moment before pulling away.   
"Aw— cute." If it weren't for the dark night, I'm sure I could've seen her blush. But instead, I feel her body temperature spike at my words. She grumbles a little more before not even saying anything to counteract my words. I congratulate myself silently as I finally win. 

We're nearly down my street but hear something from a nearby alleyway. I take a step closer to Lin in response and she stops dead in her tracks. She moves to bring her foot up and then into the ground. Her findings don't seem to be good as she quickly grabs me around the waist and shoots her metal cable out.   
"Shit." She curses and I move to wrap myself around her body. 

I don't get a second to question her when a metal cable wraps around her leg. We're both pulled to the ground and without any time to react. I land on my back with her on top of me, groaning as I leave an indent into the pavement below me.   
"Hey! Think you can just get away after catching one of our best guys?" A group walks out of the alleyway in varied heights. The main man shouting still has a cable wrapped around Lin's leg and pulls it back. I watch as she's pulled away from me and towards the group. They ready their bending styles or preferred weapons as they watch Lin. I try to sit up but fall onto my elbows as my muscles remind me of the ache I've been putting them through the whole day. 

_Not the time to rest._

I force myself up in a swift motion to get me up and running. A few stragglers take note of me getting up. Lin starts fighting with the main group while I'm forced to fight with a few waterbenders. They laugh together as they move water towards my direction. I grit my teeth and throw a fire wall up, causing a sharp hiss of steam to shoot up. I roll my sleeves up as I walk towards them. They look at eachother before coordinating a large arm of water to try to flatten me. My fire forms something of a dome around me. It mixes with a brighter light, almost white, flame and forces the water to steam up more violently. I turn my walk into a sprint as soon as I'm allowed to dispel my flames. I jump into the air and whip an arm of fire around the waterbenders, forcing them to create a protective wall of ice. If they gave me waterbenders, I'll fight like a waterbender. I hear Lin being thrown around and decide it's my time to step in. Even though every muscle in my body begs me to stop, I run up the wall of ice with help from flames from my feet. I get to the top and flip over everyone onto the other side of the main group. Lin looks over at me like I'm crazy. I laugh slightly and charge towards the group fighting with Lin. I kick in the air as some start running towards me with no gear at all, fire licking at their faces. The bright light of my flames catch they eyes of firebenders and I'm sure my cover is blown. Then the main group start to hoard around me as people start chatting to one another. Lin's left resting against a wall as this group of 10 or more start surrounding me. A firebender is pushed towards me and begins to throw basic punches with weak fire. I come closer and attack them with my own flame. I see a slight smile as an earthbender pulls one of my feet into the ground to keep me in place. Firebenders band together to create a large ball to throw towards me. I can't move out of the way so I'm forced to clash with it head on. My arms flail frantically as I bring almost white hot flames up and hold it until the weaker fire disperses. Small flecks of blue decorate the yellow of my flame and I can't help but smile. 

_I still got it._

But theres a sharp pain in my chest to remind me why I don't fight anymore. My foot is released and the fire stops. They're sure they killed me or burned me. From the look of it, Lin thought I was a goner as well. Somewhere along the process of trying to burn me alive, my shirt caught fire and now I wore tatters of sleeves with a crop top. The group freezes altogether, watching me. I take this time to spring into action and run towards them all. I bring my leg into the air and bring it down with an aura of fire around it. I burn a handful of them and they run towards cover. The others that are left look at each other before arming themselves. There's another sharp stab in my chest which causes me to grit my teeth and send a hiss of slight flame from between them. The earthbender makes their move towards me and brings up a large rock from the pavement to thow at me. I stand my ground as it meets my shoulder. I blink a couple times and feel myself being pushed back. It's starting to become hard to breathe. It's hot. But the wind is bitter cold. I make eye contact with Lin and for the first time, I can see worry on her face. She's leaning against the wall with a split eyebrow. Before my hearing goes next, I hear a siren a couple seconds down the road. I give in to the earth and let it knock me off my feet. There's no use fighting anymore. I feel a horrible lightheadedness and the fall on my back makes me scream out. A metal cable shoots over me and police start to come in to apprehend them. Lin soon runs over to check on me.   
"Y/n! Get up, come on get up!" She gives me one once over and I follow her orders, getting up with help from her. I'm clutching onto her, leaning on her for support as my leg reminds me it's bruised. 

"You alright?" She takes me over to the same wall she had been leaning on and I basically fall into it. I refuse to let go of her as she's the only thing keeping me from eating rock. 

"Nothing Chief of police can't handle. Once this blows over, I'll take you home." Lin slams her foot into the floor, pulling earth up and protecting us. She brings me to the floor slowly and I sit, leaning against the wall. She kneels next to me and I lean my head on her shoulder as I keep an arm wrapped around my abdomen. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I let out the loudest groan I can when I wake up. I don't even try to move and I know I've already got it bad. My hands move to the edge of the bed and I pull myself up. My back aches like hell. I want to chop my legs off. Muscles ache like never before. I'm having a great day as I change and head out the door to my motorbike. Yesterday I had the bright idea to walk to work and today, I really do feel the consequences to my actions. 

"You look like hell." Lin's lovely words greet me as I walk into the office. I narrow my eyes at her and I throw myself into one of the chairs. I wince at the large bruises covering my back against the chair. 

"I feel like it too. Do we have any news on the group that attacked us yesterday?" I make myself sink further into the chair as my arms cross. Lin puts her glasses on to start working. 

"Well turns out, they're connected to our case. There's actually a group of them and they've named themselves 'Keepers of the Peace'. Their whole plan is to take down major people they think corrupt the system." Lin explains and begins to work. I hum slightly. 

"I was special enough to be picked by them, how nice." I mumble to myself and get a scoff from Lin. I'm left to look out the window. 

"I forgot to mention." Lin looked over at me and twirled her pen in her hands. "We have a meeting with team avatar today."

" _What_?"

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can not tell you the amount of times I spaced out while writing that fight scene. But I am very happy to not have to write one for a whole two chapters orz


	10. Avatar business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your first meeting with the group seems short lived - you're pulled out as you got a call from Lord Zuko - but they were definitely a handful.

——————◇◇◇——————

A dreadful eruption wakes me up. A few teenagers, that's what they look like, barge into Chief's office. I see her massage her temples and I let out a small laugh. Which ends up getting the attention of the group. There was a small chatter but now they're all looking at me.   
"This is Dr.y/n l/n. The new criminal psychologist transferred from the Fire Nation." Lin speaks up and saves me from embarrassment. I get up slowly and make my way over, trying my best to not make a face or wince in my pain. 

"Nice to meet you all. You'll have to introduce yourselves to me since I don't really stay in the loop about Republic City news." I end up standing next to Lin's desk while an excited earthbender steps forward to shake my hand. 

"I'm Bolin! You work with Lord Zuko right?" He takes my hand in both of his and shakes it violently. I let out a laugh at him while a smile spreads across my face. 

"Yes, Bolin." I let his name run it's course as I get used to it. I match his name with his face mentally, making sure I remember who he is. He let's go of my hand and just kind of bounces about. 

"That's so cool! He's my hero. Tell him, next time you see him, that I said hi! Please!" Bolin kind of wiggles his fists around. I never would've guessed this guy was part of team avatar from how peppy he was. 

I nod my head and smile, looking at one of his other teammates to speak up.   
"I'm Korra. The avatar." A girl dressed in water tribe clothes speaks up. She's sat in one of the available seats at Chief's desk. Another girl sits by her. 

"You're a main cause to a handful of riots and protests in the Fire Nation. Nice to finally get to know you, Korra." I don't plan on using her formal title, so I get to know her without the title being in the way but also to lessen the blow of my first comment. 

"Thank...you?" She tilts her head slightly as an eyebrow raised. My eyes flick over to the girl sitting next to her. 

"And you?" My legs get a little sore as I stand and it makes me lean against Lin's desk. 

"Asami Sato. I've heard a little bit about you from Mako." She nods her head down as a small bow. My eyebrows furrow. 

_How does Mako know me?_

I look over at the person who hadn't introduced themselves.   
"Mako. I remember you from a few days ago. It's nice to see you're well." He rubs the side of his neck in response. He had been staring at my right arm the whole meeting and only now diverted his gaze. 

"Nice to see you too, Sno— y/n! Y/n." I bring my head down and massage my temples. Letting out a sigh, I feel Lin tap my arm. She had stood up and offered her seat to me. I gladly took it with some help from Lin. 

_Great. Part of my code name. I specifically asked Zuko to burn those records._

"Mako. How do you know my name?" I lean back in Lin's surprisingly plush chair and spot Korra and Asami giving each other a look. 

"Chief said it?" Korra came in to save him as he gave me a weak smile. His shoulders raised and his foot pointing towards the door. I am getting this confession whether he likes it or not. 

My voice deepened, gaining that strict tone Lin speaks with.  
" _Mako_. How do you know my code?" I narrowed my eyes at him. Until yesterday, I had kept it under wraps that I was this elusive person. That I had a past. I just can't run away from the Fire Nation. 

"Maybe he just heard it on the radio?" Korra stepped in for him again. I turn my attention to her and steel my face over. I bring myself to sit up and look down at the young adults in front of me. Bolin stood awkwardly next to his brother, his hands in his pockets as he looked around the room. 

"I asked Mako. Not you. Let him answer for himself." I flick my eyes back towards Mako. My sun glazed boring into his golden ones. 

"I— uh. I used to be a fan." He completely deflates on spot. He bend his head down as he let's out a large breath. 

"What? You? A fan of the Snow Tiger?" My eyebrows basically raise to reach my hairline. Lin looks over at me in her own confusion. 

"Snow Tiger?" Lin stands with her hands behind her shoulders and her feet shoulder width apart. She really is the strong Chief this city looks up to. I pay her my full attention as she talks to me. 

"It was my code name as I trained and for some time during my travels. Zuko even used to use it when addressing me out in public or just for orders. It referred to my blue, sometime white flames. It's complicated but, I don't have them anymore." Lin let's out a small laugh as she punches me in the shoulder lightly. 

"You really are more of a psycho than I thought. Mr. Hot Flames." Lin went back into her standing position. I decided to tease her and I laugh softly. 

"I'll accept Mr. Hot. Nothing else though." I look over at her and hide a smile with my hand. Bolin clears his throat. 

"So are we going to have our meeting? Are you two having a little thing over here?" His finger flicks between us and I hear a grumble from Lin. 

"We're having our meeting." Lin massages her temples for a quick second before continuing. "I've called you all here about a new threat in Republic City. Theres a group called 'Keepers of the peace' who have been attacking and murdering people who they think are corrupt. Dr.Y/n has been attacked and is so far the only one to survive." She talks with her hands, bringing one this way and that. 

I lean back in her seat and my head meets the fabric of her jacket. The scent of Lin lingers in the air when my head reaches the headrest. It's woody, almost. She's an earthbender no doubt. I'm not used to such a stable element, the smell brings that with it as well. It's strong, a smell of harsh earth with slight hints of flowers. It's the small things about her I keep thinking about. 

Soon enough, she's done explaining the situation to them but the phone on her desk rings before anyone can get another word in. She rushes around me and picks it up.   
"Yes, he's here. I'll give the phone to him." Lin mumbles slightly and then gives me the phone. 

I grab it with some confusion.   
"Hello?"

"You really need to call me more often, son." It's Lord Zuko. I'd recognise his voice anywhere. 

"Hold on. I'll hang up and take this in my office. Team avatar is currently here for a meeting with Lin." I spot Korra look over at Asami again once I call Lin her first name. They both raise an eyebrow together and I honestly can't wait to hear if they bring it up with Lin or not. 

"Hurry then. I don't have all day." I laugh at his tone and I'm sure I can see his smile on the other side. I hang up the phone and get up a little too fast. I lean against the desk and Lin offers one of her arms to help me stabilise myself. 

"I'm afraid I'll have to be leaving. Lord Zuko requests I call him. I'll just be in my office if you need me." I smile and give thanks to team avatar. Lin walks with me to the door and I only realise how messed up I really got when I find myself tightening my grip on her arm. Lin puts her free hand on mine and gets my attention at the door. 

"You want me to walk you to your office?" No doubt, there's a lot of worry in her voice. Lin furrows her brows and she looks just as worried as last night. 

"I'll be fine, it's just a little further. Go have your meeting, Lin." She bites at her lip before she takes her hand off of mine to open the door. I give her a small smile and head down to my office. It's a little longer than I thought but I make it to a dusty office. All I'm here for is the phone so I crash land into my seat to call Zuko. 

"That was definitely longer than I thought it would be." I laugh at his dry humour. It's nice to finally hear from him again. 

"Well I'm here now. What did you wanna call about then?" I leaned my elbows on the desk as I spoke. 

"Just to check in. Raiko has been telling me all about you getting in trouble, son." His voice lowers. He's worried. 

"Yeah. Turns out, it's more dangerous here than I thought. I've been standing my ground though, don't worry. Lin's got my back while I'm here." I lean back in my seat and I almost expect for Lin's jacket to be there. I close my eyes while I sit in some type of weird disappointment. She's just across from me. She doesn't like me like that. I've got to stop thinking about her. 

"I'm glad. Are you feeling any pain? Do you need a walking stick or something? I can get one made for you and sent over." I smile at his worry. It's nice to know he cares about me. Thanks to Zuko, I had been able to have a stable father figure for the past few years in my life. It's nice. 

"I'm just sore. I have a few new scars but nothing that has killed or tried to kill me. Just. Maybe, a little, the smallest amount. Of chest pain." I pull the phone away from me to get ready for Zuko to get mad. 

"What?! You've been over heating, haven't you?!" There it was. The term we had agreed on was 'over heating' my flames. It was funny to me at first, but now it just sounds like I don't do well in hot weather. 

"So maybe there was a little white or blue but, I'm fine. Lin is making me take it easy. She's making sure I'm protected at all times by keeping me around her as well." I hear a sigh come from him. 

"Alright. I won't make you come back any sooner if you think you can still handle yourself. But how are you getting along so well with Lin? You haven't been there for long and you already seem so close." My eyes flick open and I bolt to sit up. 

"Talking! We just talk a lot and work together all day. I've done some work for her since you haven't sent any reports my way yet." I let out a breath I had held. I pull my shoulders down from their raised position and unwind the tight fingers clutching the arm rest. 

"Hm. If you say so. But I will be sending work soon. Like a care package. But work." I bring my hand up to my face and feel the heat on one of my cheeks. My face is completely red. 

We continue talking and catching up for the time being. I harshly avoid talking about Lin whenever it comes appropriate for him to bring it up. At one point, it gets a laugh from him and I only grumble. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I had hung up on Zuko just recently. I just sat at my desk while staring up at the ceiling. There was a slight know at the door before it opened.   
"Just letting you know that our meeting is over so you can go head down to Chief now." Korra poked her head out from the open door and I got up to try to walk down. I'm successful in walking to the door and greeting the avatar. 

"Thank you, Korra. I'll be seeing you around then." I gave her a small smile while we both stepped out of my abandoned office. 

"I just want to ask you something very quickly though." 

_oh fuck._

"Shoot." I nod my head and spot the rest of team avatar at the end of the corridor. 

"What's up with you and Chief? Are you two...y'know...a thing?" She rubs the back of her neck and avoids looking at me in the eyes. I don't blame her, she just asked a super private question. 

"No. We're just colleagues. I'm here to work. Not to date the Chief." 

_I'M AN IDIOT I ABSOLUTELY AM HERE TO DATE HER SHE IS SO HOT I—_

Korra meets my eyes again.   
"Sorry for prying. Chief's just weirdly nice to you. I'll let you get on your way then. Nice meeting you today, Dr.y/n." 

"Just y/n. I don't really use my formal title since people think I'm actually a licensed doctor, I've just got a psychology doctorate. But nice seeing you, Korra." I give her a nod and we both head down our separate ways. I make my way into Chief's office and make a straight b-line to the couch. 

"You alright? Or just taking another nap?" Lin's words provide some type of comfort as my body sinks into the soft plush on the couch. 

"Taking another nap. I have nothing to do except wait." I grumble and grab one pillow to pull to my chest like usual. Lin keeps her eyes on me as I get settled. 

"I won't be waking you up if you sleep past your own hours and I will be locking the office early." She didn't start on her work yet, leaning against her hand as she talked to me. 

I let out a short laugh.   
"I know you won't. I'll just have a short nap anyway." It's her turn to laugh at me. Her gaze lingers a little longer before she gets to work. 

At the end of the day, she ended up waking me up anyway. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're coming up to a chapter where there is fluff at the end and I'm foaming at the mouth to write it— mY gOD the way that chapter ends is just so cute and I want to write it now >:((


	11. You're busted!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days pass and tensions continue to rise. Thankfully, team avatar find the base of operations. Chief leads a bust and you're stuck in your office waiting for them. When they get back, Chief is pretty beat up. You can't help but worry.

——————◇◇◇——————

I take a small rest in my living room in the morning. The past few days have been without any fighting. Just planning. I've been working closely with team avatar and Lin as we recently found the base of operations from one of the captured attackers. They've been planning a bust and today was the day I came into work to an empty office. I chewed at my lip as I got up from my couch. My eye travelled around the slightly cluttered room towards the corner. I don't stay often in the living room but there's a piano. In my last visit to the house, there definitely wasn't a piano here. I make my way over and lift the cover off of the keys. My fingers graze over them and I'm tempted to play a tune. I learnt a few love songs during my travels to win over some of the ladies. It was all about the flings, the drama I'd cause. I never had the time for a serious relationship.   
I sat at the piano and played a single key. It was beautifully made, the notes were perfect. I took a breath and readied both of my hands on the keys. I started playing a small melody.   
" _You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.  
You make me happy when skys are grey.   
You'll never know dear,  
How much I love you.   
Please don't take my sunshine away._" I hummed along the tune, unsure if I could still sing. All I knew was that I could imagine Lin sitting next to me while singing along. We would be happy. She'd wrap her arm around my waist, her head on my shoulder and a smile on her face. My hands cross over the piano and I play a wrong note. I bring the lid down and sigh. 

_I need to get to work._

The drive there is a little faster, I'm late. I walk into the station and then make my way over to Chief's office but I'm stopped by a few officers.   
"Good morning, y/n!" Robi waves in my face, excited like always. 

"Good morning." I have a slight grumble to my voice. Maybe I have a headache. My brain feels fuzzy and I can't tell. 

"You want to spar today?" Hunter piped up from his desk and I turned my attention to him. He sat with his feet up on the desk, eating a donut. 

"Maybe some other day, Hunter. I have to wait for Chief to get back from a bust." It's a cheap excuse, I can tell by him scrunching his face up, but I just want rest. I step away from Robi. "Well I'll see you guys around then." I give them a nod and head off to Lin's office. She had left it unlocked for me to walk in. I let out a breath and fell onto the couch. 

_She'll be back soon. I hope she's alright._

——————◇◇◇——————

I decided to rest my eyes for a while. But soon enough, I started to doze off. My eyes flicked open when I heard the door open. Lin walked in and looked over at me. She had a busted lip, her eyebrow had also split open again and her normally shiny uniform had some scratches and blood patches.   
"Lin!" I move to sit up, almost running over to her. She closes and locks the door before speaking to me. 

"It was successful. They're already booked in." I see how she tries to smile but stops herself when she realises her lip had been busted open. She removes the top half of her uniform and walks over to bring out some cleaning supplies by the couch. She sits reasonably close to me, within arms reach. I'm close enough to see how tight her tank top actually hugs her frame. It's fairly loose but I'm still able to work out those muscles I've been dreaming about. 

I move to hook a finger under her chin and turn her to look at me. My hands rest on either side of her face as I assess the injuries she's sustained on her face. Her eyes widen at the sudden touch.   
"Lin. You've got to be more careful out there." I find myself grumbling slightly as my hand moves towards her cut eyebrow. My fingers move some of out of place hair from her forehead to get a better look at the deep cut. My eyebrows knit together and I make eye contact. "I'm going to get the first aid kit to clean you up. After work today, you're going to see a healer, alright?" I take my hands away from her face and get up. Lin takes a little while before she says something. 

"O—kay." I feel her body temperature's higher than usual as I leave the office to go into mine. I narrowly avoid talking to anyone and come back into the office to Lin already cleaning the blood off of her uniform. I go through the first aid kit to find a sanitary wipe and then turn to Lin with it in my hands. 

"Lin, put the uniform down for a minute." She huffs before putting it down and turning to me. I show her a smile and start to clean her up, placing my free hand to rest on her scarred cheek. I unconsciously run my thumb over and trace the scar but she doesn't seem to mind. She even leans into my touch, relaxing as I work. I clean up her lip first. I use my thumb to bring her lower lip down and I catch Lin's breath hitch when I part her lips. I'm more focused on taking care of her so I just ignore it, planning to tease her later. It doesn't take me much longer to finish cleaning her busted lip and I bring myself back to fold the wipe. 

"I'm not going to a healer." She crosses her arms, looking away from me. I grab her by the chin and turn her to look at me. I start dabbing at her split eyebrow. 

"Yes you are. Can't see you smile, can I?" I'm able to see a light blush creep along her cheeks. She stutters slightly before speaking. 

"No. I'm not going. Also I don't smile." She goes to pout but draws her lip back as she finds out it hurts. 

I let out a laugh and smile as I nearly finish cleaning up her eyebrow.   
"Yeah, sure. Alright here's what I'll do then, if you go to see a healer by the end of today then I'll help with your paperwork tomorrow. How does that sound?" Her eyes avoid looking at me and go to look at her uniform on the floor instead. 

"Fine. I'll see a healer after work." I get up from the couch as I've finished cleaning the blood off of her face and head towards the bin in her office. 

"Alright. I'm going to put the first aid kit away and then you can tell me all about the bust. I want details." I give her a sly smile as I pack up the first aid kit. She picks up her uniform and continues to clean it. 

"Be quick then. There's a lot to say." She keeps her eyes low and on the uniform. I can tell from how hot her body temperature is that she's trying to hide a blush. I laugh before I leave and make my way over to my office. 

_She's adorable._

_**Don't get too comfortable.** _

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short to make up for how long the next chapter is lmao  
> I seriously can't wait for the next chapter because it is pretty . . . touchy but just fluff


	12. A night in.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're stuck doing reports with Chief after promising to do so if she went to see a healer. Chief walks you home, you thought today would've been a good day to just walk without using your bike. It's way too late and dangerous to let her walk home so, she stays the night and you get to know Lin a bit better. It's nice to gush about your own published books but it's even better to try to serenade her.

——————◇◇◇——————

Even though I'm still sore and everything, I decide to walk to work. It's nice to just take in the atmosphere of the busy streets of Republic City once in a while. With whatever the bad threat was through this month, it seemed to disappear as I weaved myself through the grouped crowds. The great size of the police station towered over me. I didn't need to worry anymore. Not with Lin. 

_Do I like her that way? Do I like her enough?_

I made my way up and into the station. The lobby is relatively quiet and I don't hesitate to go into the elevator and into Lin's office. I knock before I go in, she's already sat at her desk.  
"Two piles today?" I raise an eyebrow and head over to her. Two separate piles of work stood on her desk. 

"I saw a healer so you're helping with work today. Have fun." She doesn't look up at me, fixing her glasses as she wrote. I let out a sight huff and grab a pen from my pocket. 

_Shit. I forgot._

"Very welcoming. Thanks, Lin." I speak in the most boring tone I can think of and get to work on a report. She let's out a short laugh and there's a slight smile as she works on her own report. 

——————◇◇◇——————

The end of the day is upon us and my head is on the desk. I had one report left before I could stop and head home.  
"Y/n. Come on. It's just one more and then I can walk you home." Lin had been coaxing me into finishing it off for the past five minutes but I was absolutely not having it. I groaned and my hand let go of my pen to go limp on the table. "Don't do this to me now, y/n." She leaned forwards on the desk towards me. 

"Mm. This is it. Your work actually killed me. Zuko will be getting a body in the post in the next 3 to 5 working days." I kept my face on the table and continued to grumble and complain. "It's nearly 11. Can't I just go home?" I turned my head to the side and looked up at her, putting on my best puppy dog eyes. 

"Don't look at me like that. It's just one more. And you won't die from it either." She leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest and avoiding looking at me. I let out the longest sigh I could as I got up from the desk and wrote. I can't stand looking at another piece of evidence or another folder. Don't even get me started on the amount of domestic violence or property damage cases there are. My hand was sore through every word I wrote and begged for me to stop. I winced as I slammed the pen down onto the desk. 

"Happy now? I'm done with your sick torture." I narrowed my eyes at her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes in response. 

"Let's go then. Drama king." She got up from her desk and got her coat on. I got up after a little sulking and walked out after her. The station was basically empty. There only seemed to be a few people coming in for some folders they forgot or just to go into the training room. We both walked in somewhat of a comfortable silence. As soon as we walked out of the station, cold air wrapped around me and I felt that hardened chill. I let out a sharp breath that I was able to see. I curse whoever made the suit I wore for not making it from any kind of winter material. Lin looks over at me and I'm sure she can see me mentally complaining as she just laughs at me. "You cold firebender?" 

"Yes." I cross my arms over my chest and I don't want to look over at her to give her the satisfaction. 

"Why don't you just heat yourself up? You've been complaining about the cold a lot recently." Lin let go of her teasing tone, it was more worried now. 

"Well. Zuko put me on a firebending ban. It ends tomorrow actually." I glance over at her. She's been staring at me the whole time we've been walking. I smile to myself and I relay my plan in my head from this morning. 

_I better make up my mind if I like her that much if I'm going to ask her to stay over._

It's been a long time coming for me, I had a chance to ask her to stay for the night way back when she stitched me up but didn't say anything. Maybe it was when the moonlight hit her face that I realised she would turn me down. Or when she held my face so softly that I knew deep down she was different.  
"Good. We're going to be planning another bust soon. One of our officers recently found the base of a nearby triad." 

_Triads. Shit I need to call King._

I nod and fix my suit jacket.  
"Lin?" There's a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach again. I feel my palms sweat slightly. 

"Yes, y/n?" She says my name and I feel my heart skip a beat. She is not good for my heart. At all. 

"Since it's so late, want to stay over at mine? I don't want you getting attacked on your way home or something." I splurt out some nonsense after my question and a bead of sweat forms on my forehead. My cheeks feel like the air around it has started steaming. 

"I don't know, I don't want to disturb you." I see Lin rub the back of her neck and I see the hesitation in her face. Once I've been able to know her better, her face can really be read like a book. 

"You definitely won't be disturbing me. I really enjoy your company. You're a lovely person to talk to or hang around." I realise what I've said and so does Lin. We both avoid looking at each other as I feel Lin's body temperature increase. 

She takes a breath or two before talking to me.  
"If— if you don't mind it then I can. I will." She mumbles slightly and I feel a smile spread across my features. We come onto my street. 

"I have some reading to do so, do you mind sleeping in the same bed as me? I'll be getting to bed a little later." I pull my keys from my pocket, flicking through a few keys to find the one for my front door. 

"I don't mind. I'll be heading right to bed anyway." Lin kind of fiddled with her thumbs as we stood by my front door. I opened it and she followed me in. Locking it, I kick my shoes off at the door and take my suit jacket off. 

"Bedroom is just upstairs. First door to the left." I give her a smile and she sends a small one back before setting off to find the bedroom. I walk through and into the living room, putting my suit jacket on the couch and making my way over to the phone. I hesitate slightly before putting the numbers in. 

"King." His voice made me cringe. It sounds similar to nails on a chalkboard. 

"I've finished my case." I hear him shifting around on the other side. He laughs in a deep growl. 

"Great. You can get straight to work then, can't you?" I can see his stupid smile through the phone. He's just as attractive as a slug. 

"Yes. I will be starting that tomorrow. Did you need anything from me before I go?" I bite at my lip as he mulls over his answer. 

"No. You've been quite a good dog. See you around." A long note plays as he hangs up. I put the phone back and lean my forehead against the wall. My hand comes up against the wall and feels along the cold paint. The more I imagine his stupid face, the more I want to hit it. I growl and then draw my fist back. I hit the wall with full force. And then again. And again. The slimy dealer laughs in my face with my knucked badly battered. 

"Work. I need to read something." I talk to myself to try to pull me back down to reality. I look to my left and my other hand brushes along the spines of books until it lands on one. It has a deep red colour. One of the first books I've ever published. It's based around the mentality of a person in the Fire Nation. How the one hundred year war had affected the nation and how the royal crown works to treat these scars. I can recall how Zuko beamed once he found out I think highly of him. He loved the book, buying one for his own study even though I had gifted him one. My hand travelled to the book next to it. It had a deep green colour. I wrote it during my travels in the Eath Kingdom. It was during a rough time in my life where I had just started off in my journey and I already missed my room in the palace. It was lovely to write, don't get me wrong, but the whole book reminded me of some bad love and luck. I still found myself taking the book from the shelf it stood on and I was soon sat on my couch. My bruised hand held the spine as I started to flick through the book. It was quite thick, notes also stuck out from the pages for extra information. If I was going to think about getting to know Lin better, I better know the Earth Kingdom better. I don't get another page into the book when I hear some shuffling in my kitchen. I put the book down on a small coffee table in front of me and head towards the kitchen. I let out a breath of relief as I watch Lin try to reach for something on the top shelf in one of my cabinets. She's in her white tank top with her work trousers on, I can't help but walk over to her and smile. "What are you trying to get?" 

Lin jumps at my voice and looks away from me.  
"I was just trying to get some tea." She mumbles and I hum in response. 

"Chamomile?" Lin hums and I reach up to grab the box of tea. I bring it down for her and close the cabinet door, spotting the kettle already on. "Don't be worried to just send me a shout when you need something, alright? Now go and sit down. I'll make the tea for you." 

"Fine." She grumbles and heads over to the kitchen table. I turn my back to her and pay attention to steeping the tea. 

"So why you up? Thought you went straight to sleep." I glance over my shoulder to look at her. She's leaning against her hand with her eyes closed, yawning before she said anything. 

"Couldn't sleep. It's too cold." She changes to rest her chin on her hand and look away into the living room. I see her narrow her eyes, trying to get a better look at the books that lined the bookshelves. 

"So _you're_ cold now. This horrible weather even gets to the Chief." I turn back to the tea and shake me head. Lin let's out a short laugh. I can't help but smile to myself. 

"Your fault. You only have one blanket." I can almost see Lin pouting while I'm turned away from her. 

"I have a few downstairs, just ask for one. Firebenders get bad in the winter so I have a few lying around the house." I turn around and bring the tea over, sitting next to Lin. "Zuko used to complain a lot about how cold it gets in Republic City and I never once believed him until I actually visited." I laugh a little, holding my cup for tea between both hands. 

"Nice to know the weather's better in the Fire Nation. I haven't been able to visit since I was a young girl." Lin leaned back in her seat as she waited for her tea to cool. 

"Oh yeah, you and Zuko know each other. Sometimes I forget who your mother is. I honestly forget you're even a Chief or a Beifong." I close my eyes and let my nose hover above my tea to take in its aroma. I do forget about Lin's social status at times. I even forget about where I stand as someone who works with the crown. It's hard to remember that there's an actual social structure here in Republic City as Zuko made sure there wasn't one in the palace. He talked to servants, cooked or made tea in the kitchen while singing with the kitchen staff, even washed laundry with the staff to just talk about whatever they wanted. Here, I make a point to see everyone at that same level. Lin included. 

I look over at her and she has her eyebrow raised.  
"Who are you? Why have you come into my life like this?" Her words confuse me more than anything but I soon get the gist. I nod and lean back into the chair but soon get up. 

"Well. I'm y/n. Just y/n. And I'm sure the spirits planned to keep it that way. There's nothing special to know about me except for my past. Everything now is nothing special unless I give meaning to it." As I speak, I walk with my tea over to the nearest window. I bring the curtains to the side to look up at the moon. It's bright and full, shining down on me and I know my eyes shimmer in this light. I turn my back to the ball of magic and just lean against the windowsill to look over at Lin. "As for staying around you, you're interesting to me. And I've found myself caring about you. You're weirdly comforting in some way. I'll ask the same questions to you now." I take a sip of my tea. It's hot enough to almost burn me. I feel the dangerous temperature spread through me and it calms me. It takes me away from the half assed confession I just made until Lin speaks again. 

"Huh. I think you said everything I would've said. I'm really just a nobody without my name and you're good company." She makes eye contact with me but then looks over my shoulder at the moon. We both drink out tea for a few moments of silence and just soak in the atmosphere. It's warm and understanding. I walk over to the living room. "Where you going?" Lin looks over at me with her eyebrows knitted together, slightly raised. 

"Come, I'm going into the living room." I look over my shoulder and watch her get up before continuing my walk. I've sat myself down on my couch and I pick up my book from before. I look at the small scribbles for notes on the sides of the page before reading the actual information on the printed pages. The weight of the couch shifts as Lin settles down next to me. She peers over my shoulder with her tea in hand. 

"Psychology book?" She asks as she takes a sip of tea. I nod and finish a sentence before going to speak to her. 

"It's one I've written and published. Just going over it again to brush up on my knowledge." I lean back into the couch and show her a few things on the page, a small smiley face I drew and a few things I ask about Earth Kingdom tradition. She answers my questions to the best of her ability, giving me as much as she can even though she had basically been raised in the police station. "Would you like to read up on some things I've written for future cases?"

Her eyes gaze over at the piano in the room before turning back to me.  
"Will you play me a song?" Her eyes seem hesitant at my answer. I don't think she even expected to ask the question. 

"Of course. I told you that I'll do anything you want me to, didn't I?" I laugh softly as I hand her the book and spot a light blush at the mention of the first flirty encounter we had. I get up and make my way over to the piano, but not before drinking the rest of my tea and setting it down on the coffee table. I sit at the piano and clear my throat. If was going to play, I may as well sing a good song. I play a few keys as a quick kind of warm up and then start with a soft melody. I take a deep breath, letting out the right notes from my hands and soon my voice starts to intertwine with them. " _Used to spend my nights out in a bar room.  
Liquor was the only love I know.  
But you rescued me from reaching for the bottle.  
And brought me back,  
From being too far gone.  
Ooh~ oh~  
You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey,  
You're as sweet as strawberry wine,  
You're as warm as a glass of brandy.  
And honey I'm stung,  
On your love,  
All the time. _" I breathe out and smile to myself. It's nice to know I can still sing just as good as I used to. I turn my attention to Lin. She's sat back in the couch with her tea in hand and her eyes closed. She seems at peace. 

"You never told me you could sing or play." Lin finished the rest of her tea, opening her eyes to look over at me. The book is in her lap now and she shows me a smile. 

"You never asked, until now." I slide in a wink but I'm interrupted with a yawn. 

Lin puts her cup onto the coffee table and closes the book.  
"I think it's time to get some sleep, don't want both of us going in late." She gets up and stretches her arms above her head. I sigh and shut the lid of the piano. 

"I'll fold only this once." I rub one of my eyes and we both head up the stairs and into the bedroom. "Night Lin." She goes and bundles herself up as I change into a jumper and sweats. 

"Night y/n." She mumbles and I can tell she already has her eyes closed. I lift the covers on my side, lying on my side with a smile on my face. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I'm woken up a couple of hours into the night by someone violently shaking. I look over at Lin and she's shivering like there's no tomorrow. I turn on my side and tap her arm.  
"Lin. Lin come here." My voice is rough, deep for a morning voice. She jumps at my voice but soon turns on her side and into my chest. I wrap my arms around her and make sure the blanket is tucked in around us to keep in heat. "Better?" Even though she's still shivering and all I can hear is her chattering teeth, she nods against me. She seems to bury herself further into my body the warmer she gets and it causes me to shift to further wrap my arms around her. I don't pay much mind in what I've just done as we both sink into a restful sleep. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lonk  
> Posted a few hours before my bday so I'm off for the weekend, sorry guys ;)


	13. Good morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You found yourself waking up well before your own alarm. After having a quick breakfast, you make Lin a cup of coffee and the alarm does a good job of waking her. You get to make breakfast for her and spend a nice morning together.

——————◇◇◇——————

The warmth of whoever was in my arms was something that kept me in the bed a little longer. I kept my eyes closed for the while, taking in a smell of earth with that hint of flowers. It was a nice light morning already, the sun not even out yet. I finally opened my eyes but only to look at my clock on my bedside table. It was going to be a while until my alarm went off so I thought I could go back to sleep. But I was already awake. Looking down at Lin, she's holding onto me quite tight while she sleeps. She looks incredibly peaceful. I bring one of my hands up and move some hairs that have fallen in front of her face back in place. A sigh escapes me as I look over at the clock again. I have to get up. 

_Sorry Lin . . ._

I carefully take the pieces of my scrunched up jumper from her hands and start to slide myself away from her. Her eyebrows furrow as she starts to stir. I breathe out and place one of my hands on her cheeks, my voice quiet.   
"Just going to the kitchen, Lin." She doesn't seem to let up, her arms now trying to pull me back into bed.

"Stay." She mumbles and it's obvious she's pretty grumpy. I come down and press my lips between her eyebrows as my thumb traces her scar. 

"I'll just be gone for a minute." I hear her huff and her arms go limp, letting me leave. I go to sit on the side of the bed and look over my shoulder to Lin starting to replace where I lay with the blankets I had. With a breath in, I stand up and use the wall to help me along downstairs and into the kitchen. It's kind of funny to me to find out how she isn't a morning person. I go through my fridge for some sweet bread and eat it while I make the both of us some coffee. From what I remember, I should have fifteen minutes before my alarm goes off. I just hope it's more that enough time to get a quick breakfast and a coffee in. I hum to myself as I eat the sweet bread by stuffing as much as I can in my cheeks. I'm about halfway through my breakfast before the coffee is ready. I make Lin's how I usually do at the station. Then I make mine and drink most of it down with my sweet bread. I'm almost fully up the stairs when I hear my alarm go off and a grumbly Lin. I walk in and see her turned away from the alarm with a pillow over her head to block off her ear. I let out a short laugh and switch the alarm off, watching Lin relax and seem to plan to fall back asleep. "Lin~ Linny~ it's time to get up." I tried to speak in the softest voice I could. 

All I got was a growl.   
"No. Just. Give me five more minutes." She grumbled, pillow still on her head. 

"I've got to coffee. Will that wake you up?" I tap the mug and she starts to come out of her makeshift fort to look over at me. 

"Do you have the right creamer?" She places the extra pillow back on my side, propping herself up by her elbows. 

"Yes, Lin. Just how you like it." She almost immediately sits up and looks up at me expectantly. I crack a smile and hand her the coffee. She goes to drink as soon as it's in her hands, showing me a thumbs up. "Alright, while you wake up I'll go make you some breakfast to give you some privacy. You okay with a fry up?" 

She takes another sip of her coffee before she speaks, I can see the cogs start to turn in her head.   
"Yeah. You're eating as well, right? Don't want you passing out anytime soon at work." I know she tries to make it out that she doesn't really care and it's just so she doesn't get told off but, it's cute in the weirdest way possible. When she avoids admitting she worries or grumbles when I give her attention. It's cute. It's her. I think that's what I like about her. 

"I've already eaten, I'll be getting ready while you're eating anyway. I better get downstairs. Bacon won't cook itself." I laugh at myself and rub the back of my neck. Bashful is an understatement. 

She sends me a small laugh with a smile.   
"Thank you, y/n." She goes back to her coffee and I head back downstairs. I find myself raiding my fridge for basic breakfast foods and it takes me a little while to remember where I put my pan. It's been a while but I can still cook just as well. I hope so anyway. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I tried not to burn myself while washing up and just continually hissed at the water for being at boiling temperature. The pan did not help while washing up at all. Going into the water, it caused the water to heat up even more and catch my face in some type of torture sauna. I couldn't help but grumble.   
"What's got you grumpy?" Lin's voice sent a shock through me, basically making me jump into the air. 

"Hot water. And I'm not grumpy. At least not as much as you." I point a wet wooden spoon at her and see her roll her eyes before sitting at the table. I had put her breakfast there, trying my best to make it look like a smiley face. 

"Looks nice. Weirdly happy." She mumbled to herself but I was just glad she noticed the smiley face. We went by a few moments of the noise of cutlery hitting the plate and me just washing up before I started to dry my hands. 

"I'll go get ready then. I'll try not to make us late." I set the tea towel down and tap her shoulder as I pass, getting a hum as she continues to eat. I made my way up into the bedroom and found my bed perfectly made. 

_Damn. Even the way she cleans up is perfect._

I look through my clothes drawer and pull out a jumper this time. I've learned my lesson about suits in winter. Multiple times. I take out some jeans to go with it and I find myself tucking in the jumper just above the belt. I roll my sleeves up but it doesn't feel right. 

_**Oh hey look. It's the thing that reminds you you're the worst. You know, keeping it out in the open has caused a lot of pain. Why not hide it?** _

I let out some type of desperate noise as I throw my jumper down onto the bed. Heading towards my bedside table, I pull out a roll of bandage. I give in and wrap my arm up until halfway through my bicep where I tie it up. I try not to look at the bastard of an arm or try to remember. But it seems impossible with the bumps of course pain around my arm. It takes a little more than a minute to just pluck up courage to look at my arm. Even though I've been so confident recently, showing it out in the open and not even thinking about it, my progress falls in on me and it feels like it was all for nothing. 

_**Good boy. Looks like you do listen.** _

With violent movement, I go to toss my jumper back on. The sarcastic tone of my nagging thoughts eat away at my state of peace. This everlasting presence of the pit of emotion had been following me since birth. The stupid words that lead me to impulsivity and almost death multiple times. It's fucked up. 

"Y/n. Come on, we're going to be late." Lin's knocking gains my attention. 

"Hold on. Just getting cologne." I moved to my shelf of cologne and sprays. I picked a favourite of mine before going to open the door. Lin stood right outside, planning to knock on the door again but instead knocking on my body. "Hm?" I decide to humor myself and lean against the doorway into her space. 

She eventually realises what she's done and I can see and feel her face slowly heat up into a nice blush. Her hand doesn't move from it's place on my chest.   
"I— I'll be downstairs." She shoots me whatever smile she can drum up and then bolts it down the stairs. I break down laughing and it takes me a while until I make my way downstairs. I'm still giggling when I grab my keys for my bike. 

"Come on. I'll drive us down real quick." I seem to have a permanent smile on my face as I speak to Lin. Whatever happened in the bedroom earlier on, I completely forgot. The nagging voice of my own seemingly disappeared. Lin follows me into the garage silently. There's still a small dusting of pink on her face. She still doesn't say anything as we both get on the bike. Her arms wrap around my midsection reasonably tight. I tap one of her arms and rest my hand on hers. "You alright back there?" 

Her forehead meets my back and I can feel her taking in breaths to seemingly calm herself down.   
"Ready for work. Let's go." My hand moves back to the handlebars and I rev up my beauty of a motorbike. 

"You got it, Chief." And we're off. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is some more fighting so get ready >:)


	14. Takedown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day at work is quiet but you and Lin work towards planning a raid of a small triad. You worry about your own feelings and tried to persuade Lin to let you come with. That's how you were met face to face with the boss.

——————◇◇◇——————

"So what was that triad your officer found?" I sit back in my chair while I try to balance my pen on the bridge of my nose. Lin taps her desk and sends a pebble to knock it off of my nose and onto the floor. 

"You want to plan that now?" She looks at me with some mock surprise. Just having knocked my pen onto the floor, I'm sure she's still laughing at me. I grumble as I pick the pen up. 

"Yeah. It doesn't look like you have much paperwork so why not?" I sit up and lean against the desk. 

"Let's go get the officers then. We'll have a meeting today and hopefully we'll have some type of plan." She gets up from her seat and fixes the position of the papers she was working on. I take a little bit of time but I'm soon up, to be honest I'm not really excited. 

——————◇◇◇——————

After the impromptu meeting, I feel slightly nervous. I don't have much to add to these meetings except for predicting behaviours since Lin won't let me go. But I do want to go. At least to get some intel or just to make sure the job is done properly. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty either way. I swallow and talk with Lin once she's closed the door.   
"Lin. I just have one question." I seat myself in my usual chair and watch as Lin goes through a small filing cabinet before sitting down. 

"Yes?" She pays more attention to the file she had picked out, putting her glasses on and bringing the documents into her vision. 

"I was wondering if I could come with you to help with the bust." Her eyes flick up to meet mine and she seems outraged. She does not like the idea. At all. 

"No. I already have Raiko on my ass to keep you safe and I don't need him convincing Lord Zuko or Fire Lord Izumi that you being here is dangerous. He'll make you work in the Fire Nation and I don't do well with long distance." Her choice of words makes me raise an eyebrow. I make a mental note of whatever type of separation that she's afraid of. I see her bite her lip and I can tell she's even overthinking the situation. 

I act before I think, my natural instinct to calm her before she continues to chew into her lip. My hand plucks the file from her hands and places it down on the desk.   
" _If_ anything bad happens, I'll take care of Raiko." My hands take hers and I rest mine face up on the desk. "And I'll talk Zuko out of taking me away earlier than I'm supposed to." I half expect her to pull away. To bring her arms across her chest and cross them. I can already imagine the glare I'd get for talking her down like this but I continue anyway. "Izumi has no power over dictating my movements. I won't get badly hurt if you're there. I know you'll protect me and I can protect myself." 

She looks away from me and I feel her squeeze my hands.   
"I don't know...are you sure you're okay to fight? Are your cuts healed and do you have any bruises?" My thumbs run over her smooth skin. I smile to let her know I appreciate her worry. 

"I'm fine now. You can count on me to help." I bring her attention to me and I get a smile from her. She squeezes my hands. There's a part of me that feels bad. 

_I just have to make sure the plan is executed perfectly. It'll go smoothly if I'm paired with Lin. It's for good. I just have to remind myself I'm doing something good._

"Alright, now let go of my hands so I can work." She greets me with a look over her glasses and I can fully feel my heart skip a beat. 

I pull a face in response and stick out my tongue slightly.   
"No, I don't think I will." A light laugh comes from the woman in front of me. My heart seems to beat even faster. 

"Can I just have one hand then? Since Dr. Grumpy is so touchy, I'll let him have one hand but I do need to work." Lin leans over to me slightly. I slide one of my hands away from her. 

"Only one." I bring on a smug smile in having won and kept one of her hands to hold. It does make me question why I like the softness of her skin so much. The small bumps of scarring along her hands added to how much I just liked to hold her. It didn't make sense to me. Fate didn't want me to love. Ever. I don't think any other diagnosis fits my description in how I feel about her but there's never a time to tell her. It's always work. 

She moves to open up the file I had put down earlier on and she just goes right back to work like normal. I decide to tease her, kind of flirt I guess. I bring my head down to rest on my arm that held Lin's hand. My other hand messes with Lin's, tracing scars that I can make out. I end up catching Lin's attention when my hand fits itself between hers. I don't acknowledge her looking at me and sit up slightly to pull her hand forwards. I take her hand and make her cup my cheek. Her face almost immediately reddens and she hides some of her face with the file.   
"Y/n. Could you get some coffee?" Her voice is kind of muffled behind the file. I smile as I feel her thumb brush over the skin on my cheek. I take my chances and turn into her palm to place a chaste kiss on her hand. 

"I'll be back soon, Lin." With a smile, I let go of her hand and get up. Her hand stays on the table as I leave and I can feel how hot her body temperature is well outside of the office. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I don't know how I had been seated in the van next to Mako but whoever decided it was a good idea can rot. I bring my arms up to cross over my chest and knit my brows together.   
"What? I didn't catch that." I looked to the excited officer next to me. Mako basically glowed. 

"When you fought that entire gang with just your fire knife technique, how did you do it?" His eyes shined and the faintest fanboy blush stained his cheeks. I am definitely having a talk with Zuko next time. 

"Pure spite. Gang said I would never be a good guard so I rocked their shit. They did apologise in jail so it wasn't for nothing. But, uh, I do have my own strategies up my sleeve." I looked over to the small window into the drivers seat. Lin sat up there by herself, claiming she needed to focus to drive us there so I had to sit with the officers. But now I see her laughing at me in the front seat and I'm planning way to get her back. 

Mako continued to ask about my career as Royal Guard and even prodding into before I took the job. I, of course, shut his down before he could ask any questions about my life before Zuko. The only details I gave him was that I loved poor and didn't do any good work. It seemed to be enough to get him off the subject for a while. 

Getting to the hideout was one thing, the next was trying not to make any noise. I was crouched down by Lin, watching for any of the movements she had mentioned before. It took a little bit of time before her hand raised and her index and middle instructed us to go in. I had some of my old gear with me, tranquilizer darts, dart gun, wrist braces, just the essentials. I planned to follow Lin's lead but knowing me, I would end up doing something stupid. We entered the first room. A group of men played cards on a table at the end of the room. It was what I could see over Lin's shoulder. The officers spread out along each side of the door at her command. She let out a sharp whistle and after a little hush talk, one of the men walked out. Lin shot up and brought the man down by his neck. He struggled but it wasn't long until he passed out as Lin cut off his blood flow by his neck. There was a a little more talk and the rest of the men came out. Me and a few other officers grab one of the men and we set them in the room.   
Handcuffed, we leave them with two officers and head out. According to a source, the hideout was pretty big and all rooms were armed with guards at all times. We waited by the room for any sounds. I got tired of waiting then and there. I decided to go off into the next room immediately, there was an armed man by the door. I made quick work of him with one of my few tranq darts. Even though I had just got us one room more, I felt Lin's eyes burning into the back of my head. I am going to die. It won't be a gang member taking me out, it will be Lin covering up my murder.   
I bite my lip and make a quick decision. I carry on through the hideout on my own path and Lin loses sight of me. If I was going to be killed, may as well get the mission done. After a few rooms of people just talking, I end up at one that's heavily guarded. 

_That's the ticket right there . . . lets see if I can do it just as fast as I usually did._

I take out my pocket dart gun, it's a weapon I had learned how to use in the swamps. Surprisingly very useful. I place one of my darts in and I'm getting down to single digits in my pack. A quick breath helps it travel along and one of the guards fall to the floor. This allows me to come into view for guard number two and I'm already running towards them. They go to pull out a knife but their sheath has it secured a little too much and they're unable to get it out in time. I manoeuvre my way around them and kick their legs behind them, bringing them into a headlock when they eventually pass out. The coast is clear. I hear distant metal footsteps but pay no mind as I open the door. The supposed boss is sat at a desk. It's quiet. They've fallen asleep at their desk and I can't thank lady luck enough. I walk by the walls to eventually stand behind his desk. I approach him and bring my hand up to his neck, creating a long blade of fire just shy of his neck. The metal footsteps got louded and Lin now stood at the door. I bring my hand up to my mouth and put my index finger to my lips. She sends me one of the deadliest glares I have ever seen from her. Her steps into the room are sloppy, loud and make the boss stir awake. I shoot her a glare once the boss starts to freak out. I enter a glaring match with her and the boss takes their chance. I didn't pay attention to what was on their desk. But there's a mix match of metal objects. They take one and shoot it at Lin. One is picked up and they go to stab me. They stop at just touching the fabric of my slacks as I back myself against the wall. The wall behind me starts to bend while the boss jumps from his desk and charges towards Lin. I throw myself to the ground and a spike of wall appears where my chest would've been. 

_Holy fucking shit. I would've been more than just a goner . . ._

I jump to my feet and Lin is involved in a full metal fight. I try to strategise on the spot but just run head first into it anyway. I bring a whip of fire down on the boss as they shield themselves with a small wall of sheet metal. My fire isn't hot enough to cut through the metal just yet. Lin bumps into my side and pushes me behind her, sending another killer glare my way. The boss runs at both of us and I use Lin's shoulder to flip over the both of them. I catch Lin's attention which leads to her being punched right in the face. When my feet land on the floor, I pull out one of my tranq darts to finish my plan but Lin gets in the way. Somehow she's even more angry than before, her attacks are violent and relentless on the boss. She doesn't even push him back, they both lead eachother out and into the hallway. An insufferable groan comes out of my as I'm forced to follow them. The boss still keeps up to their own as Lin fights them and doesn't let up at all. Lin starts to show signs of fatigue and I pull her back. I put one hand against my back to hide the tranq dart and the other is used for bending. I use my fire like a whip, this time I heat it up. The flames lick into the air as it almost meets a white colour. I see the boss's eyes widen for a quick second before throwing a sharp piece of metal my way. I use my flames to whip through it. It splits and he continues to throw things at me. Lin stays on the sidelines, I think she's accepted that she needs to rest. I keep up with my walk towards the boss while I keep eye contact and whip through each piece of metal. I start to feel the draw backs of heating my flames as my chest muscles constrict. I don't let anyone see a weakness and turn my walk into a run. I need to end it soon or else I'll just collapse. The boss is sent into a further panic and soon trips up on a mistake. I spring at the chance to tranq them. As I tower over them, I lean down slightly and throw the dart into their neck. It's over. I pull their limp body up by their collar and throw them over my shoulder as I make my way toward the exit.   
"L/n."

_oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck_

I turn just my head to look at Lin behind me. She flicks me in the forehead.   
"Ow." I rub the now red mark and we both make our way out. 

"We're having a talk when we get into my office." She doesn't say anything else. I don't either. We're both silent on the way back to the station as well. 

——————◇◇◇——————

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Lin locks the door and stands by it with her arms crossed. She sends me the very same glare she sent when she first saw me in the boss's room. 

"It was stupid. I know. I'm sorry." I lean back against her desk, almost sitting on it. She makes slow steps towards me. 

" _Stupid is an understatement_. You ran into danger. Head first. You could have been seriously injured. Or worse." She doesn't raise her voice at me. As much as she wants to I'm sure, she keeps it in a strict tone but makes sure not to shout at me. She soon reaches where I stand and one of her fingers presses themselves into my chest. "You need to learn how to follow orders."

As much as I want to tease her for talking about following orders, I know I have to take accountability for my actions.   
"I should've followed your orders. I know I should have. I'm sorry for disobeying orders and making the mission harder." She removes the finger from my chest and goes back to crossing her arms. 

"You made me fucking worry." I open my arms to the side and no words are spoken between us as she barrels into me. My hands go up and down her back, she clutches onto me. "Don't do that. Ever again." 

"I won't. I'll stay with you." Deep down I know my words have a double meaning. I don't want to acknowledge it now. In a moment between us, we spend a little more time just standing there together. It takes a while before she backs away and rubs unshed tears from her eyes. We spend a little more time together before she sends me home. 

_Fuck. I feel like shit._

——————♡♡♡——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooo new divider unlocked >:)  
> What could it mean ?


	15. Explicit dreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up as confused as ever and have to head to work with the dream replaying in your head. Team Avatar hangs around the Chief after the last raid and can't help but laugh. Chief holds you in mock terror and you share some pretty playful banter.

——————♡♡♡——————

_Lin's sat on her desk by me. I'm sat in my usual chair and it seems we're in some good conversation. I don't realise what I've said but I soon register my words.  
"Come sit on my lap. I don't imagine the desk being much of a good seat." I feel my face slide into a sly smile and Lin looks at me with this new look in her eyes. I've only ever seen it once before. _

_She jumps down from the desk and sits herself on one of my legs. My hand rests on her thigh and I squeeze it lightly.  
"Like this?" She leans into my ear and I feel her breath just nip at my skin. Her hips start to move back and forth against me. "Or like this?" She plants a kiss on my neck and shivers go through me. _

_"Naughty. Keep it up and you might miss out on work today. But I'm not sure I can talk you out of missing another day's worth of paperwork, Lin." She adds pressure as she grinds against me and I can almost feel the slick between her legs._

_"Does it look like I care? I can do the paperwork whenever I want. What I want now is you." She travels from my neck to catch my lips in a soft kiss. I feel her hand sink down to my inner thigh. I let out a groan against the kiss as she rubs against my cock. "It feels like you agree."_

_Her words feel like static, sending shocks through me as she rubs against me. A sharp growl comes from me as I give in to her.  
"Back on the desk. Now." She leaves my leg and she hurriedly pulls her uniform trousers off while getting onto the desk. I pull my zipper down and position myself. I move her panties to the side, my fingers slide between her and I find myself teasing her. Slight whimpers come from the Chief on the desk. Her hips buck into the air as a more desperate noise comes from her. _

_"Don't make me wait." Her face is flush pink and she bites at her lip. I lean over her with a smile, placing a soft kiss on her neck. I slowly thrust into her which gains a moan from her._

_"Yes Chief." Her hands grip my shoulders and one pulls some of my shirt to the side. She leans in and starts to kiss around my neck to my collarbone. Each one is accompanied by a moan as I quicken my pace. I pull her down the desk and roll my hips to hit the rough spot I knew about. To keep her from making too much noise, she bit down against my skin._

_I feel myself almost drift away and pull myself back. My thrusts hit harder and I'm eventually slamming into her. The change makes her bite down harder._

My eyes flick open to to sound of my alarm. I find immense discomfort in just lying in bed with a loud noise by my ear so I slam my hand against the alarm to stop it. I throw the covers off of me and find that my body has decided to pitch a tent while I was out. I let out a grumble. Knowing Lin got to me, I make my way into the shower and it's easy to let out some stress with her on my mind. I let the hot water run over my back as my head rests on the shower wall.   
"Shit." She's got me. And she's got me good. 

——————◇◇◇——————

Walking into work was harder than I thought. Lin stood next to the coffee machine and waved me over. I kept my face unchanging and professional. Having had that newfound dream, I feel my eyes shift to look at her differently. I had just stopped thinking about our actual night together but a stupid dream made me trip.   
"Yes Chief?" My own words make it uncomfortable to wear trousers as it just reminds me of how her body moves under mine. 

"Team avatar is waiting for us in my office. Do you want a coffee before we go in?" I give her a small nod and she hands me a cup. "Good. I already made you one." 

I'm quick in taking a sip and I see Lin's strong scowl falter for a second. It takes a hand on the cup for me to realise it's nearly at boiling temperature. I kept my right hand bandaged so I didn't feel the temperature on the drink before.   
"Firebender remember? I live off of hot drinks." I like to pretend I drink boiling water and fresh lava but anything hotter than this coffee and I would've folded. Speaking of hotter, as we walk back to the office together my trousers prove to be more uncomfortable the more I walk. Lin opens the door and I walk in first, drinking from my coffee. I made eye contact with Mako right after I saw him take a look at my belt buckle. He stiffens and looks away.

_Oh the troubles of having so much to offer. And tight trousers I guess._

I go and sit myself down on the couch. Lin goes to sit in her usual seat. They engage in their own conversation for a while as I sort through a few papers on a small table in front of me. I've been helping with Lin's paperwork quite a bit recently and I just have to hope that my little bud goes down sometime soon. I'm itching to head out to the training room showers though.   
"Y/n? Hello?" Korra waves from her seat and my attention is caught when Lin flicks a pebble at me. 

"What the fuck Lin? Where do you get the tiny rocks from?" I throw my papers down onto the table and glare at her. 

"I got them just for you. You like them?" She had her arms crossed with a smug look on her face. Team avatar watched on and flicked their heads between us both. 

"Abso—fucking—lutely not. I don't expect this treatment since I saved your ass yesterday." I lean back in my seat and cross my arms. My lower lip tugs outwards slightly, the smallest pout. 

Korra's eyes turned into stars.   
"He's they guy who tranq'ed the boss? I never would've thought." Lin returned to her usual scowl once Korra had butted into our conversation. 

"I, uh, used a fire whip technique as I followed them down the hallway. They tripped and I got them with the dart." Mako and Bolin mumbled to themselves and I could tell it was about me at how excited they both got. Korra continued to talk to me while Asami just chose to listen. 

"Why were you both out in the hallway? Surely it would've been better to go into a bigger room?" Korra cocks her head to the side. 

I look at Lin and narrow my eyes slightly.   
"I'm not naming names but, _someone_ got angry and pushed them out into the hallway and I had to chase after them." Lin narrows her eyes back at me. 

"Because _someone_ decided it was a good idea to walk away from me and I had to run after them." We enter the very same glaring match that had been cut short yesterday. Korra leans over to Asami and whispers something that I can't hear. Bolin breaks the silence. 

"So about that fire whip! Do you think you can teach us?" Mako and Bolin both have their hands together over their hearts and pleading eyes. Lin rolls her eyes, putting in her glasses to get back to work. 

"Uh. What's the policy on teaching officers in this station, Lin?" My answer makes Bolin start to bounce around. It's kind of funny. 

"You need a supervisor while in the training room. Usually one of the higher officers." She writes on her own reports and documents. I get up from the couch and stretch slightly. 

"Mind coming with us then? I'm sure the paperwork can wait. I'll help if it's too much to finish by the end of the day." She finishes a quick sentence and looks over at me over her glasses. 

"Really?" She's tired, I get it, but I present my best puppy dog eyes. "Fine. Just stop looking at me like that." Bolin comes over to give me a punch on my shoulder and he pulls me in by my neck. 

"This is going to be so cool! Former Royal Guard teaching me and Mako." At this point, I don't think I can see him without his little excitement wiggles. Asami and Korra laugh to themselves and follow Lin in getting up and walking out of the door. Mako and Bolin chat together just behind me. We walk to the training room and whoever isn't taking part in the impromptu lesson stands to the side. I go over to a few pieces of equipment and take off my jumper, it's incredibly flammable and I am not risking one of my precious jumpers. I start to unwrap my bandaged arm to lay the bandage with my jumper. The room goes quiet when all eyes land on the scars I have. I can't help but grumble slightly. 

I clap my hands together.   
"Demonstration. Go stand with the rest of them." Mako and Bolin comply immediately. I stand in the centre and face towards them all, a fair distance away. I take in a breath and plan a show for all of them. I heat up my flame before I send two whip like flames from my hands, almost white flames. The firebender and lavabender stare in awe and so does the rest of team avatar. Lin's seen it before so it doesn't seem to surprise her much but I can see the smallest smile at watching me. I start to throw my arms around and the flame follows my movements in large arcs around me. I make it cross in front of me, then circling me in quick succession, and finally hitting it against the earth I stood on to just show off the stability of my bending. 

"Did you see that?! How did you do that?!" Bolin ran over to me and shook me by my shoulders. I push his hands off of me in the nicest way possible. 

"I've gone through a lot of training to understand the element of fire completely. It's the reason I got the job of Royal Guard so easily." Lin's eyebrow raises at my choice of words. 

I don't know how but I got through teaching the brothers, witnessing Bolin's lavabending for the first time, without much problem. The details of my day get a little blurry after my 3rd demonstration. I actually didn't end up helping with Lin's paperwork as she just let me sleep on the couch. Thankfully, I didn't have any other special dream about Lin while I was in the room with her. But I did get the silent chance to reflect on why I had the dream. 

_I don't feel like this after one night stands. I don't end up working with them in the end either though. I doubt I've even had a dream like that about someone. My sexual fantasies, my needs, were always fulfilled. Am I just sexually frustrated? Or do I like her now? Have I liked her the entire time?_

_Why are emotions so . . . complicated?_

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're like,, 5 chapters away from another turning point in how the reader sees the relationship  
> Also, the ♡♡♡ divider is for relationship turning points if you didn't notice from what I just said  
> Anyways uhh I'm sure you guys just want to see some actual kissing and shit so I guess this also counts as a "thanks for staying with my slow burn story" with a ... sex dream


	16. Snow pay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally snowing in Republic City and you try to drag Lin outside. She agrees to go on some type of patrol but doesn't seem happy you're not properly warmed up for the weather. At home, someone pays a visit. Literally.

——————◇◇◇——————

Walking out of the house the next morning, white fresh snow crunches under my shoes. A sense of delight floods my system and I couldn't be happier at seeing an early snow in the second week of October. Usually snow falls in the Fire Nation around the start to middle of November but I've heard about the infamous October snowfall Zuko always complains about. Although I have this inner hatred for the colder months for more night hours, it almost makes up for it with snow. I'm a little ways from the station when I realise I don't have gloves or any winter clothing on me. I shrug it off and head into the building as I usually do. I send a nod to the early officers and I thank the spirits that I'm earlier than Robi's group. Heading into Lin's office, I hum to myself.   
"You seem happy." She mumbles as she's over at her filing cabinet looking through one of the drawers. 

"Yeah, have you looked outside? There's a good bit of snow everywhere." I seat myself in my chair. My eyes stick to the window to stare at the white roofs across Republic City. 

"I damn well nearly slipped while driving here this morning. The dark ice is not to be taken lightly here." She followed my gaze and stared out the window with me. 

"That's why I don't take my bike out during winter, it's bad luck for me." Lin sits in front of me and pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose. 

"How can it be bad luck for you?" She rests her chin on both of her wrists stacked up on eachother. I shift in my seat and pull at my trousers as she looks at me over her glasses. 

"It sounds stupid, I know, but nothing good ever happens when I take my bike out in snow. The last time I did, I had a one night stand that turned into a stalker." I deflated on the spot, sinking into the chair. Lin just laughed at me. 

"Who knew there are drawbacks to being a player? You. You did." She sounded so smug when talking about me and looking at her, she looked just as smug. I scoffed and turned back to the window. 

"Do you want to go out? Like, uh, what is that thing police do outside?" I changed the subject, not wanting to face the fact that I've had more sexual partners than relationships. But then again, I've never had a relationship. 

Lin sat back, starting on her work.   
"Patrol?" She glanced at me over her glasses and at this point, her looking at me like this was evil. If she could ever feel my heart I'm sure she would know that looking at me like this was like teasing me. Every single time. 

"Yeah. You can go on patrol and take me with you to just walk around in the snow." My eyes softened as I looked from the window to her.

"I have work to do, y/n. I can't just be setting work aside to entertain you." She narrowed her eyes at me. I presented her with my best performance of my puppy dog eyes. 

——————◇◇◇——————

"I can't believe you fucking did this to me." Lin crossed her arms while stood in front of the station. I elbowed her in the side and began walking.

"You can never say no to my secret weapon." I looked over at her and winked. She rolled her eyes, walking next to me. 

"Puppy eyes are not your secret weapon. They're your only weapon." She grumbled, pulling her shoulders up while her lower lip pointed outwards. I felt a slight shiver go down my spine but I paid no mind to it. 

"And they work. Even against the Chief of police _and_ Fire Lords." I laughed to myself, remembering times when I used the eyes against both Zuko and Izumi to get to sleep in. It did work. Everytime. 

"Really? Zuko would fall for that?" Her shoulders rest, going back to their original position, and she looked over at me with a brow raised. 

"Oh yeah. Everyone falls victim to the little pout, soft eyes and knitted eyebrows. I'm just that—" A chill interrupted your sentence and forced you to shiver on the spot. Lin didn't look happy. 

"And why don't you have a coat or something on?" Lin looked up at me with a glare and the classic Beifong scowl. I rubbed my hands together before stuffing them in my pockets. 

"I didn't get a good look outside this morning. Plus, the house has central heating so I didn't think it was this cold today." I rub the back of my neck and look down at my feet. I expect Lin to continue telling me off when her arm rests on my waist. She pulls me close to her, continuing to look at where she's going. I look at her. She's keeping a lookout while walking with me. At least someone actually does their job. Somehow she looks incredible in this light. The snow around us only add to make her stand out. I feel my face heat up very quickly as she catches me staring at her. 

"I don't want you getting sick. You're an important part of the RCPD." Lin looks smug. I don't like it. She knows she's the reason she made me blush and I'm sure she's proud of it. I'm going to get her back. 

My hand rests on her waist now, sliding into one of her coat pockets to intertwine with one of her hands. I feel Lin stiffen and it's her turn to blush. My thumb runs over the warm skin of hers. I lean in to whisper in her ear.   
"You should do that more often, Chief." I let my breath travel to tickle her ear. 

She lets out a breath as her body relaxes.   
"This is not fair." She pouts and I can't help but laugh. She's too damn precious. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I'm at the door of my house when I find it's already opened. I take a breath in and arm myself with a dagger of flame. I lock the door behind me and a light flicks on. A laugh comes from the kitchen as King sits on the counter.   
"Your home late." His comment makes me growl in a low tone. I send the dagger away and take my shoes off at the door. 

"What do you want?" I walk over to him with my eyebrows furrowed together. My eyes dart towards him when he laughs at me. "And get off of my counter while you're at it." 

King jumps off per my request. He punches me in the shoulder.   
"I'm here on a delivery for my best guard dog." He saunters around the kitchen and motions towards a briefcase on my kitchen table. "Since you've been good, doggy gets a treat." I scowled at his mocking tone and stupid nicknames. 

Even though I didn't like the guy, I followed him over to the table and he waited for me to open the suitcase. Inside was the true key to my heart. Money. The case was filled to the brim with stacks of yuans.   
"And how much is this?" I grabbed one stack, flicking through and counting the notes banded together. 

"Half a years worth. Two hundred thousand yuans. It should be enough to thank you and a bit." King pat my back. I didn't really pay much mind, paying more attention to the large sum of money in front of me. 

"It's all clean as well, right?" I put the stack back in place and closed the suitcase. I needed to go to the bank some time tomorrow. 

"Who do you take me for? Of course it is. Don't want to lose my own dog do I? Now, I'll be heading out so you best get started on hunting down another triad and your treat may get better." He sent me one of his sly smiles as he pulled out a cigarette while heading for the door. I rushed over to him, unlocking and opening the door. 

"Yes sir." I nodded. Money still stayed at the forefront of my mind. 

"Good dog." King headed out and I quickly locked the door. 

_Oh that slimy bastard. But. Money. I can buy myself something nice._

I rubbed the back of my neck as I walked around the living room for a secret stash of cigarettes. Celebration or not, I needed a smoke. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this may be short but the next chapter is better I swear :(  
> Also, I've been planning chapters for a lot further in the story and I'm just going to apologise in advance, like damn


	17. Sick day snuggles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up with a sore throat but brush it off as you head to work. Apparently, you look much worse and Lin doesn't let you work at all. You get a late night visitor.

——————◇◇◇——————

Waking up this morning is not as bad as when I had the dream about Lin. No no, it's much worse. My throat burns and it's not something that just leaves in the shower or during breakfast. It's dry, painful and sore. I absolutely am a drama king but I tried to play it down while walking to work. Cold is an irritant. It was currently snowing on the way to work. The biting cold chips away at what's left of my throat. There's not much. I run a hand through my hair as I enter the station. It's too early to do anything at all so I just head for a morning chat with Lin in her office. I open the door and she's sat back in her chair with her eyes closed. I walk over and sit in my chair in front of her desk.   
"Lin?" I cringe at my own voice. It's creaky and hoarse. It is deeper than it should be but Lin spots my problem immediately. She opens her eyes and her piercing glare hits me. 

"So you came to work sick today? This is what happens when you don't prepare yourself for winter properly." She scoffed at me as she reprimanded my poor choices. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. 

"And? I can still do work fine." I stuck my tongue out at her but my answer seemed to annoy her more than my actions. I would be lying if I said my throat was not affecting how I planned to work today though. 

"Hm. Go home. You're sick." She glared at me. Somehow, it was weirdly comforting knowing she was trying to intimidate me into taking care of myself. 

"No. Give me my work." I motioned to the stack of paperwork she had so she could separate some of the papers for me to deal with today. She moved the whole stack away from me. 

"No get out." She grumbled and I entered a stare down with her. 

"Make me." My words set her off. She stood up from her chair and made her way to stand next to me. 

"Get up now and leave or I _will_ make you." She held her hands behind her while waiting for a response. I could see her eyebrow twitch as she tried not to yell at me. I planted my hands firmly on the arms of the chair and narrowed my eyes at her. "Have it your way." She took her arms from behind her and literally tore me from the chair. She threw me over her shoulder like a towel. I tried to flail. Tried to escape her. But an angry Beifong that demands you to take care of yourself is a very hard Beifong to beat. I eventually give up trying to escape her grasp when we walked through the officer desk area. I hear a few snickers from Hunter and Mao and now I know for sure I have no dignity left. Lin takes me through the entire station with me slung over her shoulder. The big scary psychologist is now nothing to the entire RCPD as I'm just being carried through the building. Lin sets me down outside and crosses her arms with that smug look I hate. 

"Fuck you." 

"And don't come back. I'm making sure the front desk doesn't let you in. You stay at home to rest." She narrows her eyes at me before turning to enter the station again. I huff and I can hear a laugh come from her as she enters the building. 

"I'm supposed to be fucking taller." I continue to mumble and complain to myself as I make my way home. This woman is going to kill me. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I'm laying on my couch reading to myself after making my trip to the bank. Some part of me was glad I was sent home so I could work out my finances and everything else. I brought a blanket that had been put over the couch over me. The house may have central heating but I'm going to freeze. Before I could wrap myself with the blanket completely, I heard a knock on my door. I put the book down on my coffee table and headed over.   
"Coming!" I brought the blanket around my shoulders as I walked to open the door. Lin stood at the door holding a bag in her usual uniform. 

"I, uh, got you some food." I didn't pay attention to her trying to hand me the bag. Instead, I look over her shoulder to the sky. 

"It's pretty dark, you want to stay over?" I meet her eyes and the bitter cold makes me pull the blanket closer to me. I see the gears turn in her head as she chews at her lip. I want to reach out and take the lip from between her teeth so she doesn't hurt herself but it's too cold to reach outside. I fully wrap the blanket around me and I feel a shiver. "Please say something. It is freezing." 

"I'll stay over. Just for tonight." I move out the way and she walks in. Locking the door, I look over my shoulder to see her bending off the top half of her uniform off. She sets the bag of food on the table and starts taking out boxes of takeout. I walk over and wrap my arms around her waist with the blanket as my head rests on her shoulder. I'm able to feel her chiseled body under the white tank top she wears. "What are you doing?" She keeps her arms in the air and just looks down at my arms around her waist. 

"I'm cold." She lets a breath escape her as her hands go to rest on the blanket. Her head leans back onto my shoulder for a moment and I can feel how her body relaxes. I pull her closer to me as my eyes close, burying myself in her neck. Her smell surrounds my senses and I find my hands playing with the end of her tank top. 

"The food will go cold as well, if you don't eat it now." Her voice is lowered to almost a whisper but I can still feel a rumble in her chest as she speaks. 

"What did you get?" Lin does a pretty good job of warming me up, I'm soon at a comfortable temperature. Even though I don't need the body heat anymore, I stay. I take in the smell. How soft her skin is. How her hair just tickles my cheek. Her breathing is steady, her heartbeat faster than normal. She is absolutely addicting. 

"I got you fire noodles and dumplings. I got myself a stir fry with prawn fried rice." She lifted her head from my shoulder and continued to take out the boxes from the bag. It came with a little plastic cutlery set as well. "Come on. You need to eat." She tapped the blanket around her waist and I let out a dramatic sigh as I let go of her. 

"I'm going to come down with a worse cold because of this." I sat down in a chair at the table and Lin handed me two boxes. She rolled her eyes and sat next to me. 

"Just eat." She tucked into her food and I did as well. The noodles were perfect, just the right amount of heat and spice. The dumplings made a great side dish, being bite sized and holding plenty of filling. I'm glad Lin remembered what I had eaten with her the last time we went out to eat but I couldn't help but wonder why she came here so late. 

"Lin? When did you finish work?" I looked over at her. She was contempt with sitting in silence and eating, talking didn't seem to interrupt her luckily. 

"Over an hour or two ago, why?" She spared me a glance before going back to eating. I raised my eyebrow. Waiting for this takeout couldn't have taken more that half an hour at most and I live just fifteen minutes away from the station. I'm no mathematician but I don't think that adds up. 

"Did you wait until it got this late?" She paused mid bite. With the fork still in her mouth, her face started to redden. She drew back slowly and then started to pick at her food while one hand hid her face. 

"No." Her answer was almost too quiet to hear. I laughed to myself. 

"You know, you can just ask to stay over." She ignored me, sinking her head into her food with that little pout I love. I let out a light laugh of mine and her cheeks darkened. When I finished eating, I got up from the table and got rid of the boxes myself. Lin still sat at the table with the last of her food. I fixed how the blanket hung around me and started walking towards the living room. 

"Where are you going?" Lin looked over at me. I looked over my shoulder and eventually turned properly. 

_Right . . . attachment shit._

"Just going to the couch. I have some reading to do. You can come join me if you want." I waited for a response. She finished eating, getting up and putting the boxes in the bin. 

"I'll come with." I continued my walk to the couch and sat down to continue reading my book. Lin sat at the end of the couch against the arm, her legs crossed as she leaned back against the couch. A little bit of time passes and I hear Lin shiver. I look over at her. 

"You cold?" She gives me a small nod and I put my book down to get up, taking the blanket from around my shoulders and placing it over her. She begins to lie down on the couch as she settles. I walk around and switch the lights off before grabbing a candle from the closet in the living room to light and place down on the coffee table. "Got enough room for a plus one under there?" She shuffles around slightly before lifting the blanket up. 

"Before I change my mind." Lin does her stern voice, almost rolling her eyes as I spoke. I laugh to myself and settle down on the couch on her front. She moves the blanket around to make sure we're both warm and I find myself staring up at her focused face. The limited light makes me focus on the scar on her face. I study the two lines that only seemed to accentuate her beauty. Her arms squeeze me as she rests them just above my waist. I shift and move up slightly. I soon find out that my head rests directly on her chest and I think I've hit the jackpot. She makes the most amazing pillow. She's so soft under all of that armour. "Comfortable?" She moves some hair from my forehead and my eyes close. Her hand moves to run through my hair and she begins to play with it. It all feels natural to me. Maybe falling in love isn't so bad at all. 

"Definitely." I bring my head to the side to watch the flickering candle. I raise my finger and steady the flame. Lin laughs at me, still playing with my hair. I bring one of my hands up and she leads me to a little horn of hair. "Oh so you think you're funny now, huh?" I poke fun at her, reaching up and lightly pinching one of her cheeks. She pouts after I let go of her cheek. 

"I've always been funny." Her response absolutely melts me and I cup both of her cheeks. 

I coo at her, still incredibly soft.   
"You have. You always are." She hums as her pout turns into a small smile. I smile the softest smile I can make and my eyes basically turn to hearts as I look over her features. My thumb traces her scar. She yawns as she leans into the hand holding her scarred cheek. "Lets go upstairs. One of us still has work tomorrow." I start to get up but I'm soon tugged down by Lin. 

"I'm comfortable here." I plan to argue to try to keep both of our postures as good as they are but she pulls my head down to rest on her chest, her free hand runs over my scalp with her nails. She causes a full relaxation of my entire body into her form and I already feel myself beginning to drift off. 

"Only this time because I'm comfortable as well." I sink myself lower into her and she brings her arms closer around me. Her touch is so incredibly calming. She makes me feel so protected in ways I'm sure she doesn't even know about. It's finally as she holds me in her arms that I begin to accept that maybe I have fallen for her. Maybe she feels the same? I don't get to voice anything as my body allows the sweet surrender to sleep, I'm just glad I got to cuddle up with Lin. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are 2 chapters away from a kiss pEOPLE  
> I am so excited to finally write more fluff and Lin being soft,,,,,


	18. morning and night in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up on the couch, you don't want to move as Lin stays asleep under you. It's nice and warm as she wakes up and you wonder what she'll say next but it seems actions speak louder than words. She offers to spend the day taking care of you. She comes back in such a sour mood, demanding time together though. You sit with her on the couch and just talk. She eventually falls asleep on you and you have to carry her up to bed.

——————◇◇◇——————

My head rose slowly with her breathing. The constant cycle nearly lulls me back to sleep. But I open my eyes to look up at her. She was still fast asleep, momentarily peaceful. So calm. The light snores that came from her did make me laugh slightly. The light that filtered in from the closed curtains was barely enough to light the room and my attention moved to the flickering candle flame on the coffee table. I brought my hand up and steadied the flame before extinguishing it completely. I looked back to Lin, shuffling around to try to get more warmth from her. I found our legs tangled up as I was pushed more to her side than her front. One of her arms wrapped around my waist while the other rest on the back of my head. I closed my eyes as a smile spread across my face. Remembering how it felt for her to play with my hair, the small horns she made, and head scratches made it impossible to wake her up. Knowing she would eventually wake up though, I made myself stay wrapped up in her warm body and made sure I spent as much time as I could treasuring the memory. I didn't exactly know how long it was until I felt her hand move to clean up the messy hair I had but I kept my eyes closed. She still thought I was asleep, stealing a forehead kiss while continuing to play with my hair. My heart quickens slightly and I have to hope she doesn't start feeling it against her. She shifts and sinks herself lower into the couch. I feel her head rest on top of mine as she steals another kiss on the top of my head. My heart. 

_wow . . . she's even softer than I ever would've imagined. Forehead kisses . . . when I can't even see her . . . damn it Lin._

She takes her hand from my hair and rests it on the back of my head.   
"I know you're awake." She mumbles and I feel the rumble in her chest. I've been caught red handed. 

_FUCKING HELL SHE WAS CHECKING MY HEART BEAT WASN'T SHE? Smart. Real smart Beifong._

I grumble and bury myself further between her chest. I feel her face start to radiate heat as I move.   
"I'm not getting up yet." I hum at the pillows either side of my head and move to the side to lay on one. Lin's arm brings me tighter to her by my waist for a quick moment. 

"I need to get to work." I grumble again and hug her tighter to me. I pull the blanket over my shoulder. I know she has to leave but I want her to stay. Her work is important whether I like it or not. But I keep thinking she'll stay for someone as annoying as me. I mean look at me, I'm keeping her from getting ready and going to work just for some time in. "Come on, y/n." I lift my head up to look at her. I soften my gaze, almost putting on the puppy dog eyes and start to get up with a sigh. She stops me from getting up. "Fine. Five minutes." I stop my sulking and fall right back into her arms. I burrow myself into the crook of her neck and I hear her hum. 

_okay . . . I'll accept this as an apology for tricking me._

"So you have anything exciting happening at work today?" My voice reflects how my throat is almost back to normal. The scratchy tone is still there though. 

"Team avatar is going to be around. Can't wait to hear them ask where you are again." Lin's hand mindlessly starts to play with my hair again. I can not get enough of this woman. I try to pull her closer, wiggling myself further into the crook of her neck. 

"They've been asking about me?" She hummed as a response. 

"You should've seen how disappointed Mako and Bolin looked when I told them you were sick." I laugh slightly and we fall into a comfortable silence. I just take in the touch and I guess she does too. Until she breaks the silence. "You know, I can take a day off to just stay. I make a mean chicken noodle soup and honey lemon tea." The offer sounds tempting. What's even better about what she's said is that she accepts that she cares now. It seriously warms my heart. 

"You have an important job. I can't take you away from that. But you'll have to show me that soup and tea one day." Our minds are made up. She does have more important things to do. 

"I'll come back after work then. I want you in top shape for work tomorrow." She buries her face in my hair and I can't help but laugh. My hands travel from her sides to pull her down the couch by her shoulders. She grunts slightly and arches her back to fix her tank top. Her hand comes back and trails across my shoulder before combing through my hair again. 

"You're always welcome here, Lin. I'm happy to be in your company." I won't say anything about the cuddling in fear of scaring her off. If she enjoys this as well, I'm sure she'll understand it through my actions rather than my words. She rests her chin on top of my head and takes in a deep breath. 

"I enjoy your company as well. Especially now." I feel the quickened pace of her heart as she confesses to what I was too scared to say. Her hand just rests on the back of my head now, she's waiting to see how I respond. 

I bring her in tight as anything for a second.   
"Same here. You know, you're really warm actually. I'm glad you've let me this close." I begin to trace circles on her side as my hand rests on her waist. She hums and rests her cheek where her chin was. 

"I was actually kind of... I—" Lin huffs and stops herself. She's hesitant to continue. "Nevermind. It's stupid." I have a feeling that what she was about to do was open up. She really doesn't like this softness, does she?

I move up and lean on my elbow as my hand cups her scarred cheek. I trace the two scars as I usually do.   
"Whatever you say isn't stupid. It never is." I soften the way I look at her. She stares back with an intensity I've never seen. She looks... conflicted. Her hand moves from the back of my head to cup one of my cheeks as she starts to get up. 

"I need to get to work." I'm forced back on my knees and her touch begins to leave me. I move to wrap my arms around her and keep her to me. If she doesn't want to talk now then it's alright. Just. I don't want her convincing herself she can't tell me anything. Not when it was going so well. 

"Lin. You can say anything and I won't judge you for it. I'll listen to you. Please don't start pushing me away." I bring my voice to a whisper to try and calm her thoughts. Her breath hitches. She moves to bury herself in the crook of my neck as her arms grow tighter around me. 

"I— I'll tell you when I get back from work. You'll have to remind me but I promise I will, y/n." A little more time passes as I just hold her and she grips onto me firmly. She draws back and I get the chance to look down at those green eyes that enchant me. I smile as my hand moves to brush her lovely locks behind her ear and then move to neaten up the rest of her hair. She cups my cheek, her thumb tracing just the end of the scar across my face. Her eyes travel down my features and we're back to having a quiet moment. I see her eyes linger on my lips before they tear away to study my eyes. I'm already staring at the jade delicacies that decorate the piercing stare of the Chief. My smile widens and I laugh softly as I lean my forehead onto hers. I just want to kiss her then and there but she pulls back, giving me a light kiss to my forehead. "You better eat while I'm gone. I will not be accepting the excuse that you just slept all day either. Make sure it's something good." I grumble as I sit back into the couch to let her get up. She's fully aware of my grupiness being caused by the loss of touch and just squeezes my shoulder before going off to get ready. 

"There better be more time to cuddle when you get back." I mumble and think she can't hear me. But a small laugh comes from her, making me ball up the blanket and replace the missing Lin in my arms. 

_she's not even gone yet and I'm starting to miss her . . . get yourself together man._

——————◇◇◇——————

I spent my day just reading. I made sure to eat something good as Lin wanted me to as well. But as the day drew on, I found myself gripping our shared blanket even closer while wrapped up on the couch. It was definitely uncomfortably cold without her.

_it's getting dark . . ._

As I walked around to close the curtains in the house as well as put the lights on, a knock on the door made my ears perk up. I jogged over to the door and opened it to see a grumbly Lin standing on the other side. Her eyes landed on me and they softened ever so slightly but she held that Chief scowl as well as her crossed arms. I smiled down at her, trying my best to make myself seem like a ray of sunshine.   
"Lin!" I quickly move to the side to let her walk in. 

She laughs slightly at my excitable demeanor and her scowl grows into this small smile.   
"Did you eat today?" She asks as she walks in, going over to the kitchen table to take the top half of her uniform off. I walk over to the couch and grab the blanket before going over to Lin to wrap the blanket around her shoulders. 

"Mhm. Healthy as well." Before I could leave her, she took my hands and brought them around her shoulders. I accepted the touch and even got comfortable. "So how was work today?" Her head leans back into my shoulder while one of her hands rest on mine and the other rests just above my elbow. 

"Stressful." She breathes in, not going further on her point. 

"You want to tell me more on the couch?" I keep my voice low, wanting to comfort her rather than annoy her. She nods and we lead each other to the couch. I settle down with my legs crossed against the arm of the couch. Lin sits close to me and brings the blanket around us both. She ends up settling against my arm but I move it so she sinks into my side. "So what happened?" I relish in her touch, taking one of her hands to play with. 

"Team avatar just doesn't stop asking questions about you. I had let it slip that I had come over and they kept asking if we were dating. I can't stand those kids sometimes." I let a light laugh out and lean my head to rest on top of hers. 

_Maybe I should ask her. Are we going to date? Where even are we?_

"They really are a rowdy bunch, huh?" A laugh escapes her. She links her own hand with mine, intertwining our fingers. 

"Yeah. Real annoying." The stupid wave of butterflies storm within my stomach and I want to ask her a question. I seriously do. I can barely believe she makes me feel like this, my face heats up as I open my mouth. 

"So... where _are_ we going? You know, in this relationship?" I keep my eyes low, staring at our hands. I begin to bite at my lip as I anticipate her response. She stares at me for a time before the softest tone of hers graces my ears. 

"We can take it slow. Let everything run it's course. It's been a while since I've been this close with someone. Well. Except for... you know." She wiggles herself closer to me and I'm very welcoming to her touch. A small laugh comes from me as she mentions our night together. 

"I'm okay with that. I've— I've never been in a relationship actually." I look over to her, only bringing my eyes to find she still kept her gaze on me. My confession kind of surprises her. 

"You look like that and you've never had a girlfriend? Or a boyfriend?" My face feels like it's going to burn off. 

_embarrassing . . ._

"No." I can only muster up a feeble mumble as an answer. I look away and at the book I was reading before. She moves her hand and it goes to cup my cheek furthest from her, making me look directly at her. She uses her hand to squish both of my cheeks and it draws a stern face from me. "This is embarrassing, Lin." I try my best to deadpan, saying it in a monotone type voice. Lin only laughs at me. 

"Mm. Very embarrassing to the whole group of people in your house." She abides by the narrowing of my eyes and lets go of my cheeks. My face doesn't calm down from the massive amounts of blushing she's pulled out of me. There's that smug face of hers I hate. 

"I have some reading to do." I feel a pout coming along and it soon shows on my face. I take my arm from around her, reaching for the book on the coffee table. She shuffles around slightly as my arm had apparently been her main source of heat. She lets me get on with the bullshit excuse I had said. We fall into a comfortable silence and it continues on longer than I anticipated. She seems a little antsy about it as well. It takes a little while longer until I watch her lift up my arm. My eyebrow raises and her head goes to rest on my lap. She stops as she meets my eyes, as if she was caught in the act. I laugh at her antics and pull her up so she's able to use the arm of the couch as a pillow. She, instead, lifts herself up and buries herself into the crook of my neck. I shift slightly to fix my jumper but I'm soon comfortable and continue to read. 

_I love how touchy this woman is. I never would've thought that the Chief of police is this much of a cuddle bug._

Even more time passes and I start to hear light snores from Lin. I refrain from melting on the spot and put my book down on the coffee table. I move around slowly to get up, taking the blanket with us this time. I walk around to switch the lights off as I carry her around bridal style. I have no trouble walking up and into the bedroom until it came to taking the covers back to lay her down. I struggle and bend my knees down to try to reach for the covers. I fail as I feel her start to slip. A grumble comes from me quite easily and I try again, faster this time. I celebrate quietly as I lay her down. My arms stretch above my head as I walk around the bed to get to my side. Getting into bed is a lit easier since I don't have a whole Lin to carry. I get comfortable on my back and then Lin moves to wrap herself and the extra blanket around me.   
"Are you cold, y/n?" 

"Not anymore." I ignore the fact that she was definitely awake the entire time and just focus on tracing small circles on her side with my thumb as my hand rest on her waist. Her head moves to rest on my chest. I could not be happier. "Goodnight, Lin."

"Night." And just like that, I fall asleep with her. 

——————♡♡♡——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all will love the next chapter >;)  
> Some of this chapter actually alludes to it but you'll just have to figure out or wait for it ;)


	19. Morning kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunlight leaks in as the sun starts to rise. You place a hand on her scarred cheek and the moments pass by too fast. The both of you get ready together and you laugh together. Work doesn't seem too bad.

——————♡♡♡——————

I don't feel very happy about waking up before my alarm or the sunrise but after opening my eyes to find Lin wrapped around me and carefully nestled in the crook of my neck, it's not so bad. I find myself staring at her again and studying the features of her face. I wonder if she sees what I see. I mean, I see a strong woman at my side who's actually the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. There's no way she doesn't see that about herself considering how beautiful she actually is. I just have to hope she does though. A sigh manages to make it's way out of me and my hand moves to take some hair from her face. My hand moves and runs through her hair. It's just as silky as I ever would've imagined it to be. A smile makes it's way onto my face as I close my eyes, leaning my head on the top of hers. My hand from before just rests on her cheek and traces the faded scars on her face. I still feel the change in textures from soft to the scar tissue as I keep my eyes closed. As much as I love this quiet moment, my alarm decides to go off right as I felt like falling back to sleep. I stay where I am for a moment before I hear Lin grumble.  
"Turn the bloody thing off." 

With a light chuckle, I move to switch my alarm off. Lin moves to hug me tighter as I rest back in bed. It's around now that I realise her hand is so far up my jumper. She's tracing and going over my scars like I usually do with her. It's actually really sweet.  
"Are we getting up for work anytime soon?" I mumble as I look down at her. She's still got her eyes shut tight, not daring to open them. 

"Sleep first, worry later." Her response brings a good laugh out of me. She smiles to herself at my outburst, humming slightly. 

"If I get you some coffee, will that get you up?" I get her attention as soon as I say coffee, she looks up at me. Those eyes. I will never get tired of seeing those eyes. She sends ripples of butterflies through me with just her beautiful jade. 

"Maybe. How soon can I expect one?" Lin yawns with her finishing question and I'm forced to yawn back. A few morning tears blur my vision as a few taps from my mouth deem the yawn as acceptable. 

"Hm... at least before we go to work? I finished the coffee so I'll have to make some more." She grumbles and closes her eyes for a moment. 

_I need to find a way to ask her about what she was going to say yesterday morning. I forgot to ask her when she finished work._

"I'll get up after a little more time then." Her hand under my jumper goes to rest on my abs and I definitely can't complain about some more time to lie in. 

"Lin?" I turn onto my side to face her and her hand moves to rest just above my hip. She gives a hum in reply and I catch myself staring at her eyes. "What were you going to say yesterday?" 

She raises a brow and I can see her think through her own past actions. She seems slightly alarmed.  
"When?" 

"In the morning." The words seem to be enough to jog her memory as she sighs. 

"Right... I told you I'd tell you yesterday didn't I?" Her hand moves from my waist and trails along until she's able to rest in the small of my back. The touch tickles me slightly so I shift around, coming closer to her. "I've been a little worried about just... letting you come this close. I'm not this used to cuddling or even spending this much time with someone. It did scare me." Her words reach and pull on my own heartstrings. Although some part of me is happy she's been able to let go, I'm annoyed at the fact there's more of a story behind her building up walls. I place my hand on her cheek and just look at her. 

"Oh darling..." I lean my forehead against hers and close my eyes while her eyes are fixated away from me. "You can tell me anything Lin. Whatever you want I'll do and whatever you want to say I'll listen to." My thumb runs over the length of her cheek as I draw back to look at her. I find that I drew back as soon as the sun started to peak through my curtains. The light illuminated Lin and her figure. There was a sparkle to her eyes when they came back to look at me. "Okay?" She doesn't say anything, staring at my eyes which seemed lit up by the new light. It takes a bit more of silence and my eyebrow raises. 

"Y— yes. I got it." Lin sputters out, her face tints a pretty pink. I smile and move my hand from her cheek to neaten up her hair. Her blush doesn't die down but she fully relaxes after having to quickly put out a response. Her hand finds a few laps of whip scars to trace. I usually wouldn't have let someone touch my back like this but she feels different. She won't hurt me like others have. After our little conversation, she keeps her stare on my face. Her gaze travels around and even looks over my freshest scar over my cheek and nose. She just stares and I feel like sun glint and shine in my eyes, travelling around my frame and face. It's a nice quiet moment we have with each other, taking in the different aspects of one another. My hand goes to rest on her cheek again. 

"You know, you are so beautiful." I let my lips direct whatever I was going to say, I end up complimenting and her eyes widen slightly. She applies pressure against my back and I'm almost pulled flush to her. 

"Shut up." She looks away from me. I feel a pang in my heart at having lost the sight of her eyes. 

"You are. I could write books on you eyes, or your smile, maybe even the sound of your voice." My half assed confession makes a deep red flush across her cheeks. I bring out a chuckle and lean my forehead against hers. She looks at me. Her eyes tell me she wants to believe me. They're soft. The softest look I've ever seen from her. 

"Really?" Her voice is thick with disbelief and there's a sense of foreseen disappointment in her tone. I'm sure she doesn't expect me to even say anything. But I'm going to be there for her. 

"Oh absolutely." My thumb strokes over the length of her cheek and her eyes close before they flutter open to look at me. "This is the moment I would kiss you if I could." I sigh comes from me. It's one of yearning. But as soon as the sigh comes from me, I find our lips on one another. 

_This. This is familiar._

She's warm and soft, her lips are perfect. There's a slight twinge of coffee on them from work yesterday and I can't complain about any of it. She draws away from me to presumably look at my reaction but my eyes stay closed. One opens to look at her and she looks worried.  
"Sorry." She begins to get up and I already feel the loss of heat. I'm not happy about her moving away from me this early, sitting up and pulling her down into my lap. 

I catch her lips in another kiss and she properly settles down. I stay and relish in the feeling of her for a while before we're both forced to separate for air.  
"I've been waiting for that." I crack a smile and she just laughs at me. She plants a chaste kiss on my lips. 

"Come on, we seriously need to get to work now." She tries to get up but I pull her tighter to me. 

"But Linny~!" I pout and pull out the puppy dog eyes. Lin pushes my face away from hers and I hear a light grumble. 

"Don't Linny me. I may have just kissed you but that doesn't excuse you from your job." I fake a sulk as I let her go to get up. She squeezes my face to get my attention. "If you get us to work on time, I'll consider spending time with you tomorrow." 

I speak while she has a hold on my cheeks, it's actually quite funny.  
"Can we cuddle on the couch or maybe you can make me that soup or tea." I hum and close my eyes. If I could imagine my face right now, I'm sure I'd look similar to a cat. 

"Tomorrow. Only if you're good." There is something about how she's directing me around right now that is really close to making me horny. It may be my mommy issues but, spirits can she order me around more? 

——————◇◇◇——————

I bring us into my garage and grab my keys.  
"Didn't you say riding your bike in the snow was bad luck?" Lin comes up from the other room and I direct us onto my bike. I shrug, revving up my bike. 

"As long as I get my day with you I'm sure I'll be fine." Her hands tighten around my waist for a second in a hug. 

"Let's go then." 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who's going to tell reader that it is bad luck 😬  
> Also, posting Lin art on my ig @/nox_artist in the next few days oop


	20. Night out gone wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends invite you out and you actually go out to enjoy yourself. Robi thinks it might be the start of something new and makes her move in the station the next day. You calmly explain yourself as she lashes out. You don't pay any attention to the road and the next night you wake up with light all around you. Lin's there to greet you and you couldn't be more glad to see her.

——————◇◇◇——————

We both walk into work and it seems that no one pays us any mind, just the occasional salute to Chief. We almost make it up to her office when I'm spotted out by Hunter and Robi. I huff as I address the Chief.   
"I'll meet you in the office, Lin." Hunter makes a big scene of waving me over. Mao joins them with a coffee in hand and helps Hunter in waving me over. Lin lets out a snark laugh. 

"Have fun." She pats my arm and continues her walk before I go towards the group. 

"You can stop trying to wave me over now." I cross my arms. Mao pulls me closer to the group by pulling me over with his arm slung around my shoulders. I grovel and grumble but he doesn't let up. 

"We just wanted to see how Dr. Grumpy was doing since that whole Chief making you stay at home thing." Mao drinks from his cup and I send a glare his way before looking back at Hunter and Robi. I flicked his hand away from my shoulder and got back to keeping my arms crossed. 

"I'm doing just fine. Chief made me stay at home so I just have some extra work to do now. Is there anything else?" I raised an eyebrow at the pair in front of me. They began to whisper to each other and then Hunter pushed Robi's shoulder forwards. 

"Yes! We— uh‐ we're planning to go out after work and was wondering if you would want to come with?" Robi stutters frequently as she talks, her face red with embarrassment. Hunter crosses his arms and looks pleased with himself. Mao has gone off to his desk not far from us, lending an ear to listen in. 

"Hm. Depends on where you're going." I narrow my eyes at Robi. Although I'm not trying to put her under any pressure, I just want out of this social situation to sit in silence with Lin. She squabbles a little and Hunter takes his turn in answering me. 

"To the Manila Lounge. Heard it was good." I nod. It's been a while since I've been there but the place has always been a favourite of mine. 

"I'll go then. Swing by Chief's office after work and I should be there, alright?" Hunter gives a nod back while Robi immediately goes back to work. Mao is somewhere. I'm not sure where but he's always lurking around the station. I make my way to the office and knock before walking in. 

"Welcome back, your work is just here." Lin doesn't look up from her own work, pushing up her glasses instead. Spirits did she look good in glasses. I'm slightly disappointed that the dream of mine didn't include her glasses but then I would've had a much bigger problem. I sit in my usual seat and get to work. 

"Nice warm welcome, Lin." I smile that classic sly smile as I hear a small laugh. 

We both keep to our papers as we talk, equally trying not to make mistakes while paying attention to each other.   
"You should be used to it by now. You're lucky we haven't had a good triad bust in a while." Lin pokes her pen at me and my eyes flick up to look at it before turning back to my work with a chuckle. 

"Yeah. I definitely don't miss that kind of paperwork." Even as I work, I feel Lin's gaze on me. It seems as if she's taken a small break to just watch how I work. It's kind of cute actually. 

She hums as an agreement and goes back into her work. We sink into a comfortable silence as both of us focuses on writing. It's nice. I'm not sure if it's my infatuation with her but, I definitely enjoy spending more time with her than with others. 

_Others... shit I'm going out tonight._

——————◇◇◇——————

I rest my head on the rim of my coffee cup after finishing my last piece of work. My eyes closed briefly and I could not take it anymore. My hand felt incredibly sore and I feel like shit. Lin reaches over, tapping my cheek with her pen.   
"You alright?" I looked up at her with a pout. She had so much more work than me. I am so confused on how she gets it done everyday. Even as I worked in the Fire Nation, where I looked after an entire nation, I never saw this amount of work. Me and Zuko always narrowed it down pretty well since crime rates are pretty low. 

"Mm. Tired." I breathe out and my body relaxes with it. Lin tilts her head to the side as her look softens. 

"Work'll be done before you know it." She leans forward on her hand, seemingly studying my eyes. I pucker my lips at her, trying to reach out and kiss her. She laughs at me. "What are you doing?" 

"Trying to kiss you." I poke my head out more as I pucker my lips again. A snicker comes from Lin and I feel her pinch my cheek. 

"Tomorrow. I'll—" Lin's cut off my a knocking at her door. She reverts back to her Chief demeanor with impressive speed. We both lean back in our seats with the most dramatic sigh. "Come in." There's a grumble in her voice. Oh she's annoyed. 

I look over my shoulder to spot out Mao poking through the barely opened door.   
"Here to get y/n. We've finished work." I can barely hear him but he's got the spirit I guess. Lin grumbles again and I look back over at her before I start to get up. 

"Right, I'll see you tomorrow then Lin. Don't go sleeping too late, okay?" I stretch and as she meets my eyes, they soften ever so slightly. It takes up most of my willpower to stop myself from cupping both of her cheeks and kissing away that scowl on her face. 

"Same with you. I'll see you tomorrow then." Lin regards me with a nod and I make my way out of the office. Mao starts to pull me along and out of the building by my sleeve like a child, it does make me laugh at his haste. Hunter and Robi wait outside and, from the looks of it, they ran out to make Mao ask for me. A small smile makes it's way onto my face. 

"Let's go." 

——————◇◇◇——————

We've settled into a booth near to the corner of the lounge while still in our work clothes. Since I'm the oldest of the group, they made me order the first round of shots. I agreed to take a few shots with them to just wind down but my drink of choice for the night was just going to be some coke. Mao sits next to me and is currently hugging my arm while the other two sit in front of me.   
"Thank you so much! Next round is on Hunter!" I do a little grumble as he keeps hold of my arm but he gives me a smile back. Mao certainly does remind me of when I was younger. I was easily excitable, always had a pep in my step and a hunger for all things adrenaline inducing. Even Hunter does. Though, Hunter being more vigilant, being more focused on whatever he has to do and does things in quick succession. The twins do well in reminding me of who I was before White Tiger. 

I lean my cheek against my hand and give up on trying to scare him away.   
"No problem. I might not stay for long though, I do have to some work to do back at home." I do notice how sharpened Robi's stare is at Mao and I feel his grip on me loosen but he still hangs on me. Poor guy's scared. As soon as Hunter tries to speak, an employee comes around with a tray of shots, placing them in front of us with a bit of banter before leaving us to our drinks. Mao finally lets go of my arm and I'm allowed to pick up my shot. The rest follow suit, Hunter puts his shot towards the middle and offers a toast. 

"Finally got pops to join us." He sends me a snarky smile.

_Did he just . . . I am not that old. I am not about to become a work dad._

A low growl comes out of me as I follow the rest of them in a toast and take my shot. I have a small grumble at the burning in the back of my throat and the stinging taste of alcohol. Mao sticks his tongue out and it is genuinely the funniest thing I have ever seen. The poor guy squints his eyes and grovels in distaste. I find myself letting out a small chuckle and elbow him in the side.   
"Can't take the taste, huh?" He looks up at me and shakes his head, his fluffy hair swishing to his sides at the movement. 

"So— how's it working with Chief?" A slight smile stays on my face as I now turn my attention to Robi and Hunter. Hunter is busy trying to wave someone down to order the next round of shots while Robi sparks up conversation. 

"It's alright. A lot of work to get through but Chief is actually pretty good at conversation." Robi and Mao look at each other and then back to me. Robi leans forwards and rests just her chest on the table while her hands are in her lap. I hope there's no redness to my cheeks from the alcohol yet or else it definitely would look like I like her. Hunter is still desperately trying to wave someone down. 

"Really? What's she like?" Oh I have a lot to say about Chief Grumpy, all good things of course. I mimic someone in deep thought before Mao speaks up. 

"Pops is she like... mean all the time?" He tilts his head with his question. I allow him calling me pops and just kind of let it slide as I accept the fact that I've been put into a work dad position for the twins. 

"Well she's—"

"Can you wave someone down? I can't get the attention of anyone." Hunter falls down on the table defeated, I laugh at him and bring my hand up to my mouth. My whistle gets the attention of someone at the bar and an employee walking around is pointed to the table. 

"You gotta make noise, Hunter. We're near the corner." I send him a narrowed stare and he gets the gist. 

"Thanks pops." Hunter ordered and paid for the next round, I opted to step out for the one after since I needed to drive home. 

Later on into the night, I felt the foot of Robi rub up on my leg. She had a stiff red blush from all the drinks and I assume she's a lightweight. There was a certain look in her eyes that I've seen all over the nations but hers seems to be one of the first ones to make me feel uncomfortable. She leans forwards, boosting the look of her chest. I try not to give her any attention and pay more attention to Mao blabbering about something. Although I'm looking in their direction, I retain none of what the boy says because of Robi's attempt at flirting with me under the table. I sit back into the booth when I feel her hand on my knee to try to get my attention. I raise my eyebrow at her and keep a stiff glare. She doesn't get it. At all. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I have a slight headache this morning. I mean, I always have something wrong up there but this morning is definitely a harder hitter. I'm groggy on my way to work, taking my bike down to the station. I almost swerve off of the road on my way after just clipping a patch of dark ice. It wakes me up a fair bit and I get into the station with a dark aura of pain around me. Instead of going over to the office immediately, I head to the coffee machine and pour out a straight black. I stand there and brood in my headache before I feel someone pinch my side.   
"Ro!" The smug earthbender stands by me and laughs at my reaction. She earns an even more stern glare from me as I sip on my coffee. 

"Hey Dr. Grumpy, I just wanted to ask you something." She leans into my space and I do not like where this is going. Her hand brushes off some imaginary lint from my arm. 

"What is it?" My tone stays low, I'm obviously annoyed but I'm not sure she's even picking that up. I hear some hushed whispers from twins that hide by a desk. I catch them and shoot a glare their way, watching them duck. Robi follows my line of sight but then goes back to touching up on my arm. 

"Well... I know you haven't been here for long and I haven't known you for that long either but, I was wondering if we could go out to eat? Just us." I grumble into my cup before I prepare to let her down easy. I just have to totally make sure she's just asking me on a date or else I'll look desperate. 

"What? A date?" My eyebrow raises. Her face grows red and she scratches at her palm. 

"Uh— yeah." She doesn't meet my eyes now, choosing to look at the coffee machine instead. I don't like her offering at all. I've got eyes for someone else anyway. 

"Sorry no, I like someone else." I watch the words hit her ear and then her heart. She looks at me now but whatever soft look she had in her eyes is gone. She did not take the information as lightly as I had hoped. 

"Who— who are they?" She's separate from the world, this infatuation with me is a lot larger than I had previously thought. I'm sure I can still find a way to de-escalate the situation. "Who is it?" Her voice raises slightly and now I have to look for better ways to calm her down. 

"That's none of your concern, Ro." I am an idiot. I spoke before I thought, caught up in my own kind of anger. I don't like her that way and maybe I should make sure she knows before walking away. 

"It is when you've lead me on!" Her voice raises completely. The attention of others is now on us. If she continues to shout, I'm sure Lin will reprimand both of us. 

"What? I haven't. I don't spend time with you and I haven't done anything to get your attention." My eyebrows furrow in my confusion. 

Her hands form fists and she's getting ready to continue to shout at me.   
"You've been smiling at me, laughing and you have been spending time with me! You flirted back just last night!" I fear Lin hears what she's screaming about and my fears increase when I see the door of her office open from the corner of my eye. I massage my temples as a growl escapes what little left of me there is. 

"I looked at you. Is that what you label as flirting now, huh? You were all up my leg and leaning into _my_ personal space and continued to do so when I _glared_ at you." My body grows stiff and I take up the persona of my former royal guard self. I don't have time for this. 

Robi looks increasingly hurt at my words. There's tears pooling in her eyes as she bounds forwards and slaps me across the face. I know now that the entire station watches as a wave of groans accompany the echo of the slap. She storms off and my cheek sting gets worse with every step she takes away from me. I quickly make my way to an extra annoyed Chief stood at her door. She moves to let me in, locking the door as soon as possible. It's not long until I feel the sting of my own tears and a grab on my throat. I still hold my cup firmly in my grasp but I feel Lin's hand link with my free one. Her touch calms me as I just stand in the middle of the room. I blink the tears away but the tightness in my throat doesn't die down. Apparently she says something but it doesn't register, not until her hand is placed on my burning cheek so I can look at her.   
"You okay?" Her voice is incredibly soft but I choose not to say anything. Instead, I take my hand from hers and wrap it around her waist to pull her close to me. Her own hands follow up quickly and both of her arms wrap around me tight. I try my best to hug her just as tight with a coffee in hand but it's pretty hard. She draws back from me and, as if reading my mind, she takes the cup from me to place down on her desk. 

"I think I'll just take a small nap or something." I manage to say something but I'm not sure Lin's able to hear me as I'm walking over to the couch to plop myself down on it. I lie back, not wanting to think about the recent confrontation and my hand wanders to trace against my cheek. Closing my eyes, the whole argument replays in my head. It hurts to hurt I can only guess. As I lie and grovel in my thoughts, I hear the sounds of metal on the floor and soon a warm weight is placed across my body. 

"I'll take one with you." Lin seems to know just what I need. Her hand rests on my side and starts to make circles against the fabric. She nestles her head just below my chin so I'm able to rest my head against hers. I hum at her touch and just hold her. One of my hands play with her hair while the other is firmly planted across her body to hold her tight to me. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I work a little later than I was supposed to but I finish all of my work. After the small nap with Lin, we got straight to work. Although she didn't calm all of my worries, I'm glad she gave me the attention I needed. I feel better than I did this morning and the rest of the day seems to be going well for me. Lin finishes her last piece of paperwork but I don't really notice as I stare out over Republic City through her window. I don't even notice she stands up until she taps me on the shoulder.   
"Earth to y/n. It's time to go home." 

I get up swiftly, slightly excited at Lin staying over again.   
"Sorry, kind of zoned out there." Lin regards me with one of her smiles but her eyes show worry as she goes to cup my cheek. Her smile fades as her eyebrows knit together and I feel a sting as she applies pressure to my cheek. 

"I've got an ice pack at home I can bring over." I give my own smile to hers and step closer. My hand rests on hers as the other rests on her waist. 

"Zuko thinks of everything, I've got some in my freezer already." I lean my forehead against hers and watch as her eyes dance at the closeness. 

"I still need to head down to my apartment before going to yours. There's a cookbook that holds that mean chicken noodle soup I was talking about." Her eyes flick down to my lips and back to my eyes. I lean in and make a connection with her lips, taking in the feeling of her lips against mine again finally. I feel her smile even after I part with her. 

"Let's go now so we don't have to sleep late tonight. I, at least, want to wake up with my alarm instead of after it." I let out a light chuckle at my remark. We step away from each other and start to walk out of the station. Even out here, I long for the feeling of her lips again. There's always that coffee taste but they're so incredibly soft. We give each other a small bye before getting our respected vehicles. I watch her drive off first and then start to rev up my bike. I pull out of my parking space and begin my journey home. The route I usually take is boring, but there's not that many cars around so it's able to be used to build up some good speed. I weave through the road but I don't seem to pay much attention. I'm busy tending to a storm in my mind. 

_Did I really lead her on? Is this who I am now? I guess I really haven't changed if I get the same reaction. Spirits and I've been kissing Lin. Am I still playing the game even though I don't want to anymore? Am I leading Lin on? I hope I'm not. Fuck, I hope not. I swear I care._

My mind jumbles itself with questions and no answers. I don't pay any attention to the road until I clip a piece of dark ice. It's the very same one from this morning. I don't come back to reality soon enough and...

——————◇◇◇——————

_. . . it's bright._

Oh my throat is so dry. I hear a high pitched beeping sound next to me that quickens as I start to wake up. It follows the sound of my heart beat. 

_Shit am I in the hospital?_

I try my best to open my eyes but the white of the room makes me squint my eyes. I hear a gasp next to me and then my attention shifts as someone takes hold of my hand.   
"Y/n!" It's Lin. She looks relieved to see me, letting out a sigh and see slight tears form in her eyes. 

I lift my hand up to cup her face, I'd hug her but I feel extremely sore, to provide her some comfort.   
"How long was I out?" My throat is as dried out as anything, I sound like I've smoked a whole pack of cigarettes. Lin turns to a table by the bed and it's now that I've realised that I've been put in my own room. She hands a cup of water to me and I gladly take it. 

"The whole night. I'm glad you're awake." I finish drinking and begin to look around the room but my eyes soon falls on my left leg. It's in a cast. 

"You're going to have to explain this to me." My eyes keep themselves glued onto my leg. Lin follows the direction of my eyes. 

"You crashed. The healer says you were lucky enough to only have a broken leg and some other small injuries." I look over at my left arm and see the skin kind of scraped off as a large scab covers the bottom of my forearm. 

"Ouch."

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That poor bike orz  
> I'm just happy I get to write about domestic Lin again because I'm ✨soft✨ and ✨sad✨


	21. Getting home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being let out of the hospital with only a broken leg is the best thing that could've happened. You're just glad to get out and Lin is there every step of the way. You confide in her about family and she does the same.

——————◇◇◇——————

I spent the day in hospital as per Lin's request to the healer who's looking after me. There's not much to do but sleep but I don't mind, catching up on lost sleep from always waking up early. Lin had gone to work and promised to finish early to come pick me up from hospital. I closed my eyes, remembering our small chat before she left as she looked like she really did care. 

_"No shit ouch. Zuko scared the fuck out of me when he called me on my home phone." Lin took the now empty cup from me and placed it back on the table._

_"Right. Forgot that Zuko is listed as my next of kin." I pull the hospital blanket over my arms and shoulders as the room grows cold. Lin gets up from her chair with a big stretch and a yawn. I watch her and I yawn right after her, I first try not to but then give in._

_"I've told the healer that I'll come by after work so you'll be spending the day here. I have to go get ready and make it into work before anyone asks any questions." Lin turned to leave but I caught her hand. She looks over her shoulder before completing turning around._

_My hand squeezed hers.  
"Are you finishing at normal time or are you working late today?" I stared into those beautiful eyes of hers. My own danced to look into hers. _

_She took a step closer to me, taking my hand between both of her hands.  
"I'll be finishing early tonight to come pick you up and take you back to yours. If you want, I can stay over to take care of you." My heart skipped a beat at her words. Spirits I want to spend more time with her. _

_"If it doesn't inconvenience you too much." I let a soft smile grace my face and she smiled back almost immediately. She leans towards me and places a kiss to my forehead. Although I appreciate the gesture, before she can pull back I pull her down by the back of her neck. I bring her down so she kisses me properly, relishing the small moment with her. She stays leant over me with her hand now cupping my cheek._

_"Get as much sleep as you can, yeah? I'll be back before you know it." She leans in again to give me a short kiss before leaving me completely._

_"You better!" I shout out after her, hearing a laugh as she walked out._

I fiddle with my thumbs as I try to fall back to sleep since it's the only activity I can do in this room. Dreams also present some kind of sick entertainment to me, finding out which messed up dream or nightmare my subconscious plans to present like a weird mover. Naps don't usually turn out like this but apparently, hospitals are not good places for me. I hear the door click but half expect it to be the healer checking in but I soon hear the sound of metal. I open one eye and look over to see a grumpy Chief with a crutch in hand.   
"Ready to go?" Lin looks horribly tired so I don't spend another second waiting around. I sit on the edge of the bed as Lin hands me the crutch, getting up a little slower than expected. She tries her best to stay by her spot as the door is opened but she eventually caves and wraps my free arm around her shoulders. Her hand rests on the small of my back. 

"Lin, I'm fine." I don't say it because I want her to stop helping me, I say it because I can see the worry in her eyes when she watches me struggle. She grumbles and her hand slides from the small of my back to my waist as she pulls me just that little bit closer to her. She doesn't fail in making me smile and we start making our way out of the hospital. I hobble my way around and Lin's the most patient I've ever seen her. Outside, it's dark and cold. 

"The satomobile isn't far, okay?" She seems to have read my mind, or payed close attention to the slight furrowing of my brows. Either way, she eases some worry I have and we continue making our way. 

Lin opens the satomobile door for me and I sit myself down with the crutch between my legs. She gets in the driver's side and starts the vehicle up.   
"Thanks Lin." My head leans itself back into the seat as my eyes close. 

"No problem. It's basically my job to take care of you." She begins the drive down to my house. I'm not surprised to find out the Chief of police is a good driver and obeys road rules to a T. "There are somethings I want to ask you though."

I cross my arms, huddling up on the seat in the cold.   
"Shoot." I have a feeling that some questions will definitely be about the little argument from yesterday. 

"You can give me the short story for this one, what happened between you and the other officer yesterday?" I open my eyes to watch the road in front of us. Although I'm okay with talking about the argument and everything, I can't help but start thinking the way I did before my crash. 

_Maybe I should ask Lin out so she knows I'm not leading her on . . ._

"Well, me and Ro have been having casual chats whenever the small group catches me out the office and the day before they invited me out for drinks after work. That's why Mao came by to get me after his shift. She flirted with me during the night but I didn't reciprocate. She thought I did but she was drunk. Next day she asks me on a date and accuses me of leading her on after I tell her no." Lin's hands grip the steering wheel tighter at the mention of her flirting. I notice that along with the grim glare she has on the road. 

"Okay. I'm having a talk with her at work tomorrow." We're nearing my road now so I shuffle around in my pockets to make sure I have my keys on me. 

"Hm. Is there anything else you wanted to ask?" We're driving down my road and Lin looks for a parking spot. As soon as we're parked, she gets out and takes a jog around the satomobile to open my door. 

"Yeah... why is Zuko your next of kin? Don't you have any other family member you can put down?" I get up and onto my crutch faster than the last time. I present a little bit of silence and cover it up as best I can as we walk to my door. 

"The thing is... I don't have any other family members. I don't have any, even. I had a small family but they were all killed." I don't look at her, more focused on opening my door and walking in. "Zuko's the closest thing to family that I have. Same with Izumi and her son." Her son Iroh, I didn't really get to know him when I was younger since he was so young but I got to know him while I was the royal guard and in my current job. We both respect each other but it is kind of annoying to talk to him since he won't refer to me with anything but captain even though I stepped down. 

I made my way to the kitchen to make some tea. Lin locked the door after picking the keys back up from the little dish I put them in by the door. She sets the keys down and there's even more silence as she makes her way over to me.   
"I'm sorry for asking." She leans her back onto the kitchen counter. I look over at her and catch her eyes staring. 

"It's fine, it happened years ago and I've worked through it." I shuffle around my kitchen to make tea for both of us. "It's nicer to hold onto memories now anyway. They weren't exactly the kindest people. Although, my mother was the sweetest mother I ever could've asked for." I smile at the thought of her lovely tea shop. What I would do to work with her there again. There was always music, always smiling and laughing. The memories I have of her are not tainted in any malicious way like my fathers are. It's light and sweet. Comforting. 

I leave the tea to steep and watch Lin go over to the living room couch to take off part of her uniform.   
"What was she like?" Lin walks back over to me, I bring my free arm out to offer a hug and she takes me up on it. I lean back onto the counter and just snuggle myself into her neck. 

"She was actually a waterbender. But on the day of her funeral, I found out she was also half earthbender. She owned a tea shop down in the Fire Nation and that was how my parents met, after I was born I helped out whenever I had free time. She was the nicest person I've ever known, soft spoken, well educated and was never one to let someone starve out in the streets." My hands slide under her tank top to rest on the small of her back to warm them up. She grumbles, jolting at what I've done, but just goes to fix the back of her top. "How about you? What's it like being a Beifong?"

"Hm... well my mother is Toph, of course, and my sister is Suyin. I don't know my dad and the whole family has only just recently reconnected after a few decades of not talking at all. So, as you can see, I have a great family structure." We both let out a laugh, I pull myself away from her to check on the tea. Lin steps away and crosses her arms. She's just as cold as I am. I try my best as tending to the tea faster so we can both have something warm to drink. 

"Growing up with Toph as a mother must've been fun, I've heard plenty of stories from Zuko." I hand her a cup and we both stand in the kitchen just drinking and warming up. 

"Toph grew up with very strict parents so she gave me and Su all the freedom in the world. I ended up following her footsteps and becoming Chief in hopes of getting her attention as she was too busy with being Chief herself." Lin stares down into her cup and breathes in. It's nice to just wind down with her around, it does get quite boring in this house by myself. 

I hum into my tea, taking a sip before speaking.   
"Growing up like that, I'm not surprised with how you present yourself now. My parents also put me on the path to become a criminal psychologist. The history gets confusing on my dads side but, I come from a family of criminals."

_**Don't you dare. You'll regret telling her.** _

"What was that like?" She seems genuinely interested. But I don't want to tell her the full story. Not when it can get us both killed. 

"A lot of fighting. And punishments. It was really hard but I'm glad I went through it since it made me into a better person. I wouldn't know about half the stuff I know if I hadn't gone through all of that. If I had a perfect family, I'd end up doing something for my benefit instead of this job where I get to help whole communities and I seriously enjoy it." Lin nods, a smile forming on her face. 

"I'd have to say the same thing. I wouldn't ever be Chief if I didn't grow up this way." I finish off my tea with a yawn. 

"Want to sleep now?" I put the cup into the sink and I soon feel Lin's arms wrap around me as she places hers in the sink as well. 

"Well it's not that late, I'm sure we could spend some more time together. Maybe on the couch?" Lin rests her chin on my shoulder. My hand goes to cup her cheek furthest from me, placing my lips onto her other cheek to kiss it. She turns her head as I get her attention. 

"I can't exactly cuddle on the couch with you with a cast on, can I? Plus, the bed is much warmer." She gives me a pout, looking away. 

_You know what, I will ask her out soon. So, it's nearly the end of October. I'll ask her around the start of November. I'd like to remember our anniversary easily if she does say yes._

"Fine. But I'm carrying you up those stairs." I squish her cheeks together, kissing her quick before I start to walk with my crutch. 

"You're not picking me u—" She scares the living daylights out of me as I'm thrown up and caught in her arms, I hold my crutch tight to my chest. "—ah! Lin! That's it, you've lost kiss privileges!" I'm completely red in the face, pouting and looking away from her. The first thing that comes to mind I do, which was kissing. She continues the walk upstairs, much faster than I would've done, with a laugh. 

"Yeah right. We both know you can't just do that considering you pulled me down this morning to just give you a kiss." She calls me out and I am absolutely not having it. She puts me down once she reaches the top of the stairs and, like the dramatic bitch I am, I upturn my head and walk as fast as my crutch allows me to. I hear her laugh as I head to the bedroom and start to settle. I pull the covers away and start to find a good place to put my crutch. "Come on, y/n. You can't take my kisses away." Lin gets under the covers on the right side of the bed, resting her elbow on the pillow so she can look over at me. 

"I can and I just have." I narrow my eyes at her, getting onto my side of the bed. Lin wraps herself around me. Since my left leg is in the cast, it allows her to drape her leg over my right so she's still comfortable. 

"What about just one kiss now?" Her head rests on my chest, she looks up at me. 

I grumble and give in.   
"Just one." I tilt my head, she cups my cheek and leans in. I can't begin to describe the feelings that just one soft kiss from her gives me. She parts and goes back to resting on my chest. My chin rests on the top of her head. I breathe out and close my eyes for the night. "Goodnight, Linny."

"Goodnight, y/n." 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, I've been thinking about pet names Lin would call us. So far: "sugar plum", "turtle duck" and "handsome darling" (I'm going for more 1920s). Give me more names that have play on words or like,, something sweet that you'd like Lin to say about you


	22. Time in again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find out how caring she is once she knows the other person is interested in her. After work, she even brings a few changes of clothes to take care of you over the next few days. A Lord calls you on the phone and Lin reads through one of your own written books.

——————◇◇◇——————

I feel Lin's finger trace the scar across my face and my eyes flutter open at the touch. Her smile is infectious, making me laugh softly.   
"Goodmorning." Lin goes to kiss me but I press a finger to her lips. "Ah, ah. Kiss ban." She frowns, pulling a face. 

"Okay, what if I make you a coffee or tea?" Her bargaining gets a bit of a laugh from me. I take my finger from her lips and run it through her hair. 

"Hm... I'll take a coffee. And if you don't try to carry me down the stairs, I'll meet you down there in 10." I allow her to give me a kiss on the cheek before she gets up. She stretches her arms above her head as she yawns. 

"I'll go make your coffee then. I hope you have some good food in your fridge because I'll be making you breakfast this morning." She walks around and heads to the door, hanging around the doorway to talk to me. I prop my head up with my hands to get a proper look at her. 

"Oh that'd be nice." I yawn and sit up, scratching the back of my head. "I'll try to change quicker then." She shoots me a smile before walking out and then downstairs. I think this is the first morning I've been up this fast. I grab my crutch and get up, going towards the wardrobe and grabbing some sweats and a jumper for the day. Or even the week. I change as fast as my cast allows me to, rolling up my sleeves to give some extra protection to my arm while I use the crutch. I enjoy my quiet morning and then the smell of a favourite breakfast food starts to waft in the air. Hotcakes. 

I make my way down the stairs pretty well for my first time, can't wait to find out how to get up the stairs later. Lin watches from the kitchen and I get over to the kitchen table.   
"Coffee's on the table. Just making you some hotcakes before I get ready and go to work." I sit myself down with a sigh of relief, happy to just stop the half walking half hopping. The coffee is perfect and Lin looks at me expectantly. I smile once I meet her eyes. 

"Alright. I forgive you for carrying me up the stairs." Lin's stupid smug face shows up and she turns to plate up the hotcake. She takes the plate and walks over with a bottle of syrup, placing it in front of me. "Come here." I hook her over by her waist. She giggles at the swift motion and leans down to kiss me with a smile on her face. I don't think I've ever felt so happy. A beautiful breakfast with a beautiful woman. I thank whatever good karma got me here. 

Lin's knee goes to rest on my thigh as we continue to just enjoy each others lips. Her hand rakes up through my hair, the other hand resting on the dip between my shoulder and neck. My hands rest on her waist but as she moves to rest her leg on me, one moves to rest on her thigh. There's a light taste of the sweet syrup and I laugh at the thought of Lin scoffing a hotcake down before I came down. She takes herself away from me, taking the time to catch her breath.   
"What?" Her eyes are barely opened, still smiling. 

"I'm just happy I agreed to go slow with you. I'm really enjoying this... and I can taste syrup on you." I laugh and she laughs at me. She leave me with a small kiss before getting to work on another golden brown circle of sweetness. I take the bottle from the table and I work on eating the perfect breakfast. 

"After work, I'll tell you how team avatar react to their favourite firebender breaking his leg and being made to stay at home for the month." I hum, my mouth full, and work through finishing the food in my mouth before speaking. 

"Mm. I'm waiting for Zuko to call me and offer to buy me a satomobile instead of my..." I take a pause before continuing to eat. "Wait. What happened to my bike?" Lin flips the hotcake in her pan, she's cooked it amazingly well. 

"I sent it to the best mechanic I know in Republic City. Varrick. Your bike was pretty messed up so he said by the time you finish healing up, the bike's ready as well." She turns to look at me, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I did forget to tell you yesterday and was trying to figure out a way to tell you over hotcakes actually. But I wouldn't leave your bike out like that." I go back to eating peacefully, happy my baby is getting fixed. 

"Bike means a lot to me, we travelled the entire map together... and it also reminds me of you now." I mumble the last bit, embarrassed that this love stuff is catching up to me. 

Lin coos at me and I feel my face grow hot.   
"That's adorable." She turns around to pick up the pan and walk over. I finish the last remains of my hotcake and find another one being put down onto my plate. 

"Are you going to be eating with me?" I change the topic pretty quickly, not wanting to delve any deeper into my feelings for her. She walk back over to cook what looks like the last hotcake. 

"Well from the looks of it, I'm not sure I'll be eating with you more like after you." I can't stand how this woman makes my face blaze. With any jab or word from her, it brings storms of emotion with it. She's so different from anything I've ever experienced or tried to experience. It's oddly refreshing. But. Confusing. 

"You're a good cook I can't help it. These are the best hotcakes I've had in like... two years." I try not to speak with my mouth that full but it's getting harder considering I keep shovelling food into my mouth. 

"You don't have to flatter me too much, it is just batter." Lin talks with the spatula quite a bit. I didn't notice it before but now the more I look at her, the more I notice little quirks about her. Like, for instance, she can often talk with her hands or just keep them crossed over her chest. I don't even think she realises she does it though. 

"There's a whole art to them Lin. It all matters on the chef, the heat of the p—"

"Alright, alright. I believe you. You don't have to school me on hotcakes, y/n." She interrupts me as she transfers her breakfast to a plate and begins her walk to sit down at the table across from me. I laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. 

"I'm very passionate about them. Although, I often don't have the time to make them so I usually just eat a sweet bun or something small." I finish the last of my hotcake and just sit there, happy I ate and even happier with the company. 

Lin's eyes widen at my statement, she stops pouring syrup for a quick second.   
"So you're telling me, you eat something small for breakfast, then go to work a twelve or something hour job and you're also a firebender? Dear I don't think you're getting enough to eat." My heart jumps at her first mention of a pet name. I'm not even sure she noticed she said that until she saw my face go just that bit pinker. 

"I snack, I guess." I sink into my seat, playing with the bottom of my sleeve. "But I don't really have an appetite anyway. I just drink coffee or tea and then I'm fine." I don't address the pat name, hoping she just calls me it anyway. Lin grumbles with a mouthful of food. It is kind of funny. She kind of looks like an angry hamster but definitely better to handle than an angry hamster. 

"I'm going to come by during breaks to make sure you eat well. Especially since taking care of you is healers orders. _You_ are going to be eating good in the next month." I fiddle around with my crutch and then pick up my plate to go wash up. 

"I don't mind since it just means spending time with you." The water's a little cold. I use my firebending to make it perfect temp. I take a long blink once I put the plate by the sink to dry. "I am tired though. But I also need to do some shopping." I mumble as I make my way over to Lin. My arm drapes over her shoulder and loosely grabs the other shoulder, my cheek against hers. I do need to go shopping actually. I'm planning to get into some baking while I'm stuck in the house, maybe even make some cookies. To be fair, cookies do sound good right now. 

"You're a real sap, you know that?" Her eyes look to her side and she does her small laugh. 

"But would you have it any other way?" She nears the end of her hotcake, humming. 

"Absolutely not. Wouldn't be you otherwise, would it?" She offers the last bite of her hotcake and I take it after she waves it in front of my face when I deny the first offer. I kiss her cheek before she gets up to wash her plate. 

"You call me the sap. You can be just as lovey dovey, Linny." I walk, to the best of my ability, over to the dish by my door. I take a look at the savings I keep in my wallet and it seems like enough to do a full shop. 

"I'm going to get ready, don't fall asleep yet because I'll drive you down to the market before work." Lin shouts from over in the kitchen. 

"Alright, I won't." I really want a nap though. I won't, I need those groceries more than sleep currently. My eyes look around the house for some extra winter clothing and land on a scarf. I try to speed walk with my crutch and it works. The interesting fact that I can speed walk with my crutch makes me laugh, I know all the secrets of using a crutch. The scarf is a dark red, definitely one of Zuko's that he's just left lying around. I hum at the memory of home. Although I do miss it, I don't think I could go back permanently since Lin's made such an impact on my life now. 

——————◇◇◇——————

Lin did actually come by during her break and cooked for the both of us. Unbeknownst to her, as soon as she left I got started on making some cookies for when she came back. Somewhere in the storage closet in the living room, my old cookbooks stack up and collect dust. Zuko had them sent over before I temporarily moved in since he claimed I couldn't cook without them. It was kind of funny to see him fumble around with them during the week I was going to be transferred. Well I used one of them to make the best cookies I'm able to make. I pull the first tray of cookies out of the oven before hearing a knock at my door. I just unlock the door before going back into the kitchen to take the second tray of cookies from the oven.   
"What's happening here?" Lin walks over and shuffles around. I look over at her to see a bag on her shoulder. 

"I made some cookies while you were out. There's not much to do other than read so I just had to make some with how much time I have. What's with the bag?" I tend to the cookies, placing them on a cooling rack to make me feel like a fancy chef. 

"Brought clothes for the month. I did tell you I was going to be taking care of you." I head over to her, leaning down to kiss her. She places a finger to my lips. "You have flour on your face. Clean up first." I come away from her, kissing the finger on my lips before heading over to the sink. I splash some water onto my face and grab a nearby tea towel to wipe the mess from my face. 

"Now can I have my kiss?" She mimics someone in deep thought as she walks over to me, effectively pinning me to my counter. I hold her face between my hands. 

"Hm... I still haven't forgiven you for putting me on a kiss ban. For a whole night. I might have to do the same to you." Her eyes fall half closed, looking down at my lips and then looking back up to my eyes. The sight only makes me want to kiss her more but she pulls her face from between my hands as I lean in. 

"I made you cookies." The voice my body decides on speaking in is like a child trying to prove a point. I sound like I'm speaking in small font as my hushed voice barely carries to Lin's ears. My pout also adds to the most whiny moment of my life. She gives in almost immediately, smiling as she kisses me. We stand like this for a while and I can't complain at all, glad we have these long kisses where we just enjoy where we are. 

She stays just as close when we part lips, her forehead on mine.   
"That you did. And I'll have to try one after we finish dinner. Now go sit at the table, the kitchen's mine for the next half hour." I laugh at her antics, trying to shoo me away. Dinner goes on as she fills me in on her day and I listen to every detail, no matter how small. On finishing our food, Lin takes our plates to wash and I'm forced to run over with my crutch to the phone in the living room. I fumble around as I pick it up.

"Hello?" I lean against the wall as it's the only thing I'm able to lean on. Lin looks over at me and she raises a brow as she holds her hand up to her ear like a phone. I put my pointer finger up until I find out who it is. 

"I'm looking for a Dr. Y/n. He recently _broke his leg_." I stiffen as I hear Zuko's voice ring through my head. I still have his scarf on me and grip it. 

"Hey... Zuzu." I try the nickname to see if I can get out of the situation easily. Lin laughs from the kitchen and want to throw a piece of paper at her or something. 

"Don't you Zuzu me, young man. I thought you said you'd avoid driving in the snow." The nickname certainly doesn't provide any soft landing for me being told off. He speaks in quite a strict tone, I know he's only reprimanding me for my own good. 

"I know I did. But the day before, a friend and I were going to be late to work so I bit the bullet. It went well so I just went with it the next day but obviously I was wrong. I know I shouldn't have Zuko, I know." I keep my eyes low but soon feel a warm Lin wrap around my midsection. I lean into her, taking in how warm she is and how nice she smells. 

Zuko lets out a drawn out sigh.   
"I'm just worried is all, son. You could've died." He admits this solemnly, and we're both not happy about it. I give Lin a tight hug in place of giving Zuko one. One thing I miss about being there in person is not being able to hug him when he gets like this. He's pretty similar to me, getting upset or anything is pretty much forgotten about once we get a hug. In this case, I guess I'd just cuddle with Lin. 

"I'm still kicking. Just. With one leg. But how is the palace doing?" I hear a small laugh from Lin as she buries herself into the crook of my neck. My heart jumps at her movements and her laugh, the sound is beautiful but I do hope Zuko didn't catch it. 

"It's just like it was before you left. Except much quieter... and more work." I laugh, missing the time spent in the Fire Nation. 

"Just like here then. Lin makes a great conversationalist and the amount of work the RCPD get is actually unbelievable." Lin looks up from her place nestled in my neck. She pays close attention to what we both have to say now. 

"Are you still getting on with Lin?" I see Lin's eyes flick from the phone to me. 

This is turning out to be more embarrassing than I originally thought.   
"We're getting along just fine. She's actually good company but I'm not sure if she thinks the same or not." Her eyebrows knit together, I meet her eyes as she pulls her head away from me to get a proper look at my face. I calm her doubts with a small kiss to her temple. She pulls me back down to give her a proper kiss and I have to try to hold back a laugh. 

"Knowing her, I'm sure she thinks so too if you're able to spend that much time around her. You know, it's..." He trails off as I hear his door open. "I'm sorry but I'll have to call another time." 

"It's alright, I know the palace is busy without me. Talk to you soon, Zuko." He says his goodbyes and hangs up. I place the phone back, reminded that Lin is just hanging onto me like a sloth. "Lin. Linny. You have to let go at some point." 

"Just. Hold on." She tightens her grip on me for a quick moment, causing me to let out this weird wheezing sound. She lets me breathe as she steps away to then help me over to the couch. 

"You know you don't always have to look after me, Lin." I sit myself down with my side against the arm of the couch. Lin sits close to me, her hand going to fix the messy hair I had. 

"But who will, huh?" I huff. 

"No one." She squishes my cheeks together and makes me look down at her. Her look is pretty intense. Whatever she's going to say is definitely going to be just telling me off. 

"Exactly. So you can't say diddly squat. 'Specially when you don't even eat properly." I narrow my eyes, pouting at her. For once, I'm not happy I was right. 

"I've got work and writing. Much more important things to do." She lets go of my face and I look over at my bookshelf. I haven't actually finished rereading that one Earth Kingdom book I wrote. 

She follows the direction of my eyes and scans the bookshelf and its entirety.   
"We're not over talking about you taking care of yourself but, I've actually wondered what books you have here." I take Zuko's scarf off of me to just lay it across the arm of the couch as Lin gets up. 

"Take one and read it. There are a few books there written by yours truly by the way." She hums as a response and I lean back into the couch, cold now that she's gone up. I see her hover around the part of the shef where I keep my prized psychology books and her hand travels along the spine of a familiar red book. She takes it out and walks back over, then searching in her bag for something. "My book on the Fire Nation?" Lin grabs her glasses from her bag and puts them on before settling down next to me. I wrap one arm around her waist while my head rests on hers. 

"I don't know much about the Fire Nation so why not. Maybe I can even understand what you do as a job as well." She has the book in her lap and begins to read. I hum, closing my eyes to get some rest. 

_Maybe I should have a small nap. It's not like she'll notice since she's reading._

"The book is kind of personal, you'll definitely find out more about my job and how I live as a firebender." Lin's pretty quiet and considering the only noises in the room is our breathing and the ever so often sound of Lin turning the page, I begin to feel myself drift. I sink lower and lower into sleep until I actually fall asleep. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part was really long because I got too into writing a domestic Lin orz  
> Two chapters away from what all this slow burn has been leading up to ;))


	23. Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life falls into a pretty domestic pace as you heal from injuries but as Lin's out, a kingpin comes to visit. When she's back, she finds you in pretty bad condition.

——————◇◇◇——————

I don't really mind waking up the next morning, even the week after that seems nice. We've gotten ourselves into a routine, me and Lin. One of us will wake up before the other and we'll lay there and talk until my alarm goes off. We'll go downstairs, have breakfast and then Lin gets ready and heads to work. On one particular day, today, I fall back into my bed and just sleep through breakfast and even Lin getting ready. I'm slowly shaken from my everlasting slumber and I meet Lin's eyes.   
"Hey. Breakfast is on the counter for when you want to head down, okay?" She had crouched down by my side of the bed, keeping her voice low. I move to sling my arms around her shoulders and pull her in. 

"Don't go yet." I'm too tired to really protest her leaving and I fight the cold of her metal to even pull her towards me. But I do want to cuddle. Lin gives me a kiss before taking my arms off of her. 

"It's the end of October, there's bound to be more crime tonight so I'm afraid I can't be late." I grumble, pulling the covers further around me. 

"Badgermole." I mumble to myself and close my eyes but I soon feel Lin pinch my cheek, furrowing my brows I look up at her. 

"I'll be back for break anyway. Save some sleep for the night, y/n." She leaves much too quick. I watch as she does. She turns to look at me before she leaves, smiling at me. I continue to spend time in bed for the morning, too cold and unhappy to get up and out of bed. 

——————◇◇◇——————

It was well into the afternoon when I had decided to get up. As I go down the stairs to eat, I hear a knock at my door. 

_Shit I haven't even eaten breakfast and now it's time for lunch._

I try my best to get over to the door without falling over and open the door, then getting as fast as I can to the kitchen. I spot the plate of now cold hotcakes and just block it from Lin's view. I turn back around to her and she's still standing at the door, her eyebrow raised in the most confused look I've ever seen on her.   
"What the flameo are you doing?" 

My free hand reaches behind me to grab the plate and pull it closer to my back.   
"Just... waiting... for you?" I offer a smile as Lin begins her walk into the house. 

"Show me what you have behind your back." Her voice comes in stern, almost like she's getting ready to scold me. The tone she uses very easily sends waves through me. 

_Holy shit that's hot._

"Nothing. I have nothing behind me." I avoid looking at her head on as she continues a walk towards me. My eyes stick to the floor but soon a pair of metal shoes make their way into my vision. 

Her voice does something similar to a low growl.   
"Show me." Her ringer hooks under my chin and makes me look at her. I take my face away from her, looking at the floor to the side of me. I mumble, I'm really trying not to disappoint her but it seems like it's getting harder. I can't even function right. "Speak up, dear." The pet name gets my attention and I look at her. Her eyes are softer than I ever would've imagined. 

"It's breakfast. I didn't eat it yet." I look back to my feet, only thinking about how disappointed or angry she feels at me. She doesn't do anything I've predicted. Her hand finds it's way to my cheek and her thumb strokes across the slightly stubby skin. Her other hand rests on my waist as she steps further into my personal space. 

"Do you want to eat something else for lunch and eat the hotcakes as a snack later or do you want to eat them now?" There's an unexplainable amount of relief that flows through me when I realise she isn't angry. She isn't mad. She just wants to take care of me. I know now that that's been her entire take on the stay here. She's not the Chief or a Beifong within these walls. She's just Lin. And what Lin wants to do is to make sure I'm okay. 

I almost feel tears reach my eyes as I pull us flush together.   
"I'd like the first option." The hand on my face snakes around to the back of neck as I'm pulled down for a kiss. I keep my eyes closed, then burying myself in her neck. 

"Do you want five minutes before I start cooking?" I feel her free hand rest on my back, rubbing circles as if on instinct. 

"Please." 

——————◇◇◇——————

By the time she'd left, she ran a little over her break but she assured me she didn't mind. To be fair, I didnt mind either. I stayed on the couch to catch up on that damn Earth Kingdom book I keep being interrupted whenever I pick it up. It doesn't seem like I get to finish the book anytime soon as the door clicks open and a familiar voice rings out.   
"Guess who." King. 

_So he's been picking the lock. And apparently repicking it to lock on his way out. Weird crafty son of a bitch._

"What do _you_ want?" I look over my shoulder and at him walking around the kitchen. He pulls out one of my drawers and pulls out a pairing knife. I begin to chew on my lip but he puts the knife down and the drawer back. 

"Don't talk to me like that. Especially when you've just broken your leg. Wouldn't want you to break anything else, would we?" His voice spits out with a chilling venom. Oh he is not happy about me at all. He walks over to me agonisingly slow. "Now, tell me why you haven't been taking part in any recent work on triads in the area?" He poses it as a question. But I know by the flick of his wrist and the fire in the palm of his hand that if I don't give him a good enough answer, no one and nothing will hear from me ever again. 

"I've got a fracture, King. Lin doesn't bring any work around with her either." I freeze. The fire in his palm begins to get hotter. 

"Oh? Your little Chief is staying with you?" He brings his hand into a fist, extinguishing the fire. "I guess I can't hurt you or you'll definitely run to her."

I turn away from him but soon hear the click of his heel on my floorboards. I try to read. But I can't focus and the words end up as just ink on a page.   
"Is that everything?" 

He stands by the arm of the couch now.   
"It was. But now I'm interested in what you and your Chief have been up to. Tell me, does she know about us?" I look over onto the next page. Still can't read but I have to make it look like I can and am. 

"There is no us. You're just paying me for the dirty work you can't do." I regret my words when I feel him tug my face to look at him. There's a scowl on his face and I'm sure I can see if he's contemplating to get rid of me or not. I try to pull away from him but his grip just gets tighter. The pressure he puts onto me begins to hurt as he continues to look down at me. 

"Tsk. Pathetic. Insulting a higher up. Just because you're not as into the system as much you used to be doesn't mean I'm not going to let the prissy excuse of a former royal guard carry on unharmed. This time though, I'm going to hurt you in a different way. I'm going to get into that head of yours." It's at this point I know that he knows what he's doing. He's been doing it for years now. Usually what will happen is that he'll burn me, have a couple rounds of beatings. But this time, he lets go of my face and stands across the coffee table. "Keep your eyes on me or I will make you regret it."

I gulp, saliva thick and my throat feeling as if it were to close up right now.   
"Yes sir." 

"Repeat after me..."

It goes on for hours. The mind games. When he leaves, Lin's an hour away from coming home and I'm barely hanging on by a thread. My hands clutch the end of the couch as tight as they can, stopping the threat of hot tears brimming in my eyes. I try to blink them away but they end up falling and I end up letting go. I let out these ugly noises as I pull and grasp at my face, the only feeling I have is of the hot tears creating rivers. Each breath eventually turns into gasps as I find myself rocking back and forth as everything becomes more violent. I still feel the echo of King's words.   
He told me I was nothing. Pathetic. Worthless. A whore who should be happy that I stopped sleeping around and should be happy that Lin even looks at me in the mornings. In that short amount of time, the weariness that had previously wore down on me let these monstrosities of words in.  
And I believed them all. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I had fallen asleep on the couch, a tear stained face with remnants of mistakes also seeping into my sleeves. I'm gently shaken awake as a soft voice greets me.   
"Y/n. Hey, you up?" Lin crouched down in front of me, already out of her uniform. 

I took a long blink, my eyes feeling dryer than anything.   
"Yeah... " I look down at my sleeves. She follows where my eyes go and her hands scoop up mine. 

"Why don't you come and eat? I picked up some takeaway on my way back today." She gets up from her crouch and I get up with her. 

She doesn't let go of one of my hands, waiting for me as I walk with her on my crutch. It takes a little while until we get to the kitchen table but she pulls a seat out for me. I sit down, looking at the different containers of food. She pulls a chair as close to me as possible and sits just as close, allowing me to lean on her shoulder. One of her hands link with mine under the table as she busies herself with opening boxes or explaining why she got something. Her voice is soft as I listen but I don't really retain any information. Eventually, she hands me a fork and she digs into her own food. I pick at my own food for a little until she encourages me to take a bite and then it slowly becomes easier to eat, especially when she acts so happy to see me eat. 

I'm silent for most of the evening but I listen close to her talk about her day. We finish eating pretty late into the night, deciding to retire early. Lin helps me up the stairs as she usually does but as we walk up, she finally asks a question.   
"Are you... feeling alright? I...— I know you've been a little off today but I saw, uhm, I saw the tears on the sleeves and you haven't really spoken." I take a breath in once we reach the top of the stairs. 

"It's just... it's just a small thing about my mental illness. Being cooped up in the house must've been making it worse." Lin slowly leads me to the bedroom and she gets the bed ready for me to slip into, then settling down into my side. She tucks in the blanket around us but specifically around me.

"We can stay in bed a little longer in the morning if you'd like. I don't know if I can do much but, I'll be here for anything. Anything at all." I can't deny the light feelings that Lin gives me. She's just so... unbelievably sweet and strong and cares deeply for others, even though she won't admit it. 

"I'll keep it in mind Lin, thank you." I close my eyes, ready to just pass out right then and there. Lin chooses to kiss my cheek before trying to fall asleep herself. 

"Goodnight, y/n. Get some rest in." 

"Night, Lin."

——————♡♡♡——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very excited about the next chapter 👁👅👁  
> Just a few more chapters of broken leg reader and then I get to write some action again oop


	24. Finally.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She spends the morning with you and you ask a million yuan question. At first, it doesn't go down well.

——————♡♡♡——————

The alarm blares out as it usually does but I feel Lin reach over me to turn it off. She settles back down and pulls me closer to her, I groan a little before I bother to open my eyes. Lin looks so incredibly peaceful as her hand moves to mess with my hair and then cup my cheek.   
"Goodmorning. How're you feeling?" She presents me with a small smile and I grip her tighter. 

"Better." Her smile grows wider and my heart absolutely melts. 

_It's the first of November. I need to ask her out. Spirits I want her to be mine._

I lean my head down and place our foreheads together. She responds by kissing me. Lin's around me and is almost protecting me in a way, her body and arms cover most of my chest while her leg loops around mine and fully misses my cast.   
"Happy to hear that. You want breakfast now or should we lie in?" She traces circles against my cheek and I close my eyes, my own smile appearing on my face. 

"I'd like to spend some time together. I actually have something to ask you." Here come the butterflies, making my heart beat rise incredibly fast. I shift a little as the feeling in my stomach makes me horribly uncomfortable. 

"Of course, you can ask me anything." She places a kiss on my cheek. As much as I love her touch and little kisses, right now it doesn't make anything any better. I'm just glad I'm not standing up otherwise I would've fallen over by now.

"Lin, I—" A sigh escapes me. "I'm going to have to talk a little more to get to the point I want to make. Maybe a small speech or something because it's... it's a big ask of you." Lin continues to trace patterns with her thumbs and her stupid touch makes me gulp. If feelings weren't so complicated for me then I already would be asking her. But I'm here stalling like the insolent brat I am. 

"It's alright, go on if you need to. I don't mind since your morning voice is so nice to listen to." She hits me right in the heart. I can't stand her compliments right now. The emotions themselves are becoming something that I can't handle at all. It's all becoming a bit too much. 

I close my eyes, not wanting to look at her while I spill my thoughts everywhere.   
"Well. Ever since I met you you've been on my mind everyday, yes this includes the bar. I can't get your eyes, your stern personality or even that metal armour out of my head. It seems like you've just... taken over my thoughts and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why. I don't work with these positive emotions so it was hard to pinpoint what I've felt this past week. But I know now that I really like you Lin. Each kiss is delightful, when we get time to cuddle I just can't help but smile. What I'm trying to say is..." I open my eyes and look over at her. Her eyes are wide, she blushes furiously and I'm even more nervous as before. "... will you date me, Lin Beifong?" 

She takes in a sharp breath and she's just frozen for a while. I don't blame her, I'd do the same thing if I was her.   
"You... _want_ to be my boyfriend? Like a... functioning relationship... _with me_?" Okay, so she's a lot more surprised than I first would've thought. I plan on having words with whoever her last ex was since she doesn't even seem like she thinks she's even worthy of love. 

"Yes." I don't move, waiting for a positive answer so I can kiss her or something. Her face is still stuck in the surprised position. She pulls her hand away from my face and rests both of her hands on my chest as she uses her elbows to prop herself up. I start to fear that I've possibly overstepped. Maybe she was just here for the cuddling and doesn't like me the way I like her. Maybe I've messed this up. 

"Are you sure?" 

_who hurt you?_

I don't let another moment pass before I answer her.   
"One hundred percent." I think she starts to believe in what I say as she pulls me down for, what feels like, one of the most passionate kisses I've ever had. I sit up as her lips meet mine and she kneels back onto my right thigh. I feel her core rest against me and her own body heat is going crazy. I've never been so relieved. 

"Yes. Yes I'll be your girlfriend, y/n." I can't for the life of me stop smiling. Although I have my eyes closed, I'd like to imagine she can't either. 

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words, Linny." We lean into each other, desperate for another kiss. My hands slide up her thighs and wrap around her waist to try to pull her closer. Her own arms are around my neck. 

When we finally pull away, I open my eyes to meet the sparkling green ones that belong to my girlfriend.   
"I can imagine. Darling." She smiles ear to ear. 

I let out a small chuckle before peppering her jaw with kisses. Each kiss comes with a pet name, listing them off as I go along.   
"Honey, love, sugar plum, turtle dove, pumpkin, call me whatever you want baby." Lin laughs along with me and cups both of my cheeks so I stop kissing her. 

"Alright, I think it's time we had breakfast. Both of us need to eat." She gives me a small peck as she still has hold of my face. I let out a hum and we both begin to get up, she helps me down the stairs as she regularly does and even helps me over to the kitchen. The feeling of the house is so light and airy and I can even tell that Lin is in a good mood. As she makes breakfast and we eat, she makes sure to make regular contact be it kissing or leaning on each other as we eat. 

_Finally... finally I can call her my girl. I can be even more sappy. Oh I can't wait until I tell her I love her._

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept putting this off??? And I don't know why????  
> It might be short but like,, I think the next chapter is longer. I haven't looked at what I wrote for the summary yet lmao


	25. It's the little moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three weeks into healing the fracture in your leg, it begins to hurt and Lin is immediately worried. Nearing the end of the healing process, Lin doesn't go into work to make sure you're doing okay.

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It's been two weeks into November and into our relationship, this morning was absolutely no different from all the rest. We got up, helped me down the stairs and then ate breakfast together. As I use my crutch the walk to the living room, a sharp pain goes through my healing leg. I almost buckle over and my groan is loud enough to alert Lin. She runs over to me without much thought, her hands still wet from washing up as she holds me up.   
"What's wrong, pumpkin?" The pet names she gives me still humour me. It's taken a long time, but all the silly pet names are so worth it. 

I show a pained smile in response.   
"Just my leg. The, uh, the healer said I'd get some pain along the way someti—" I'm cut short by a groan as my eyebrows furrow, the pain comes in short bursts and I feel like I definitely can't stand up anymore. Lin leads me to the couch as quick as I'm able to follow. 

"Lie down, I'll— I'll call the healer or someone." She rushes around me to get me to lie down and I do so at my own pace. I grab her hand before she can rush over to the phone to call the hospital. 

"Sugar it's fine, healer said it's normal. I'm what? Three weeks into healing? It's probably pain receptors testing if they still work." She fixes me with a pretty intense look. It's obviously still bugging her and I'm sure she's not going to drop it anytime soon. 

Both of her hands hold mine and her thumbs begin to make circles.   
"I'm calling into work. I'm going to be staying here and making sure you're alright, sweetheart." My eyes go all soft at hearing what she's going to do as well as being called sweetheart. Oh she is just a gem. 

"If that's really what you want to do, I can't change your mind anyway Linny." Her intense look shifts into a slight smile. She kisses my hand before letting go and going over to the phone. I'm left to a little bit of time to myself. I close my eyes, thinking about the first time she called me a pet name that was out of the ordinary. It was definitely adorable. 

——————◇◇◇——————

_"Where's my firebender?" Lin mumbles into my neck. I assume her eyes are still closed as her hands tap around everywhere but me._

_"Right under you." Lin lies directly on top of me, just missing my cast. Both of her hands land directly on my face. I sigh._

_"There you are." She sounds much happier about her hands on my face than I do. "I thought I was just lying on the bed." Even though having her hands splat onto my face is not the best thing my girlfriend has done, she still manages to get a laugh out of me._

_"Please remove your hands from my face, sugar. I can't see you or the room." I talk into her hands and I'm unsure she can even hear me but soon enough, my face is free of hands. She props herself up on her elbows and looks up at me expectantly. "What you waiting for?" I smile my classic sly smile, seeing how her face slowly slides into a smile as well._

_"For my morning kiss." I laugh at her antics, leaning down to give her a peck on the lips. "Thanks, pumpkin." She places her head back into where she lay against my neck, apparently not caring that she has work._

_I've never seriously been called pumpkin before but I think I like it? It does sound very nice coming from Lin.  
"I didn't know that being called a pumpkin could be endearing." She hugs onto me just that little bit tighter. _

_"Do you not like it? I'll call you something different if you don't." She's quick to accommodate and compromise. It does worry me slightly but I'm not going to say that out loud. Or else I'll make her worry._

_"No no, I like it. I've just never seriously been called it before." I move my hand up to cup her cheek, tracing over the scars on her face and feeling her lean into the touch. "I don't really care what you call me. As long as it's not insulting."_

_"I guess asshole is not something endearing I can call you, huh?" We laugh at her suggestion, giggling like school children._

_"Absolutely not, unless you want a grumpy boyfriend." I hum, closing my eyes and hoping she stays a little longer._

_"Wouldn't dream of it."_

——————◇◇◇——————

"Hello? Earth to asshole—" 

"Lin." I blink, making eye contact with Lin looking over me. She takes a step back, her face completely red. I sit up, shifting my attention to my cast as apparently my daydreaming put the pain on pause. 

"Sorry." She mumbles, sitting down on the space I've just sat up from. I laugh to myself before laying back down across her lap. I reach up and pull her down for a kiss. Her hand cups my cheek while the other runs through my hair. 

"It's alright, sugar plum. I'm not going to lie, it was kind of funny." I sit up and then shuffle to sit in her lap, throwing one arm around her shoulders while the other rests over the hand on my cheek. 

She hums at the use of the full pet name instead of just sugar and kisses me again, seemingly savouring the sweet flavour of syrup on my lips as she licks hers.   
"I've called in. So I get to make sure you're doing alright and we get to spend more time together." She looks at me with such joy on her face, a smile never fading or wavering. Although I'm not happy about the circumstances, I'm glad she's taken a day off. She needs the rest. I've been noticing Lin stay in bed a little longer each morning. She either buries herself into my side or just sleeps on my chest, both of which I don't mind, but can and probably will accidentally fall back asleep and I'll end up having to waking her. At first I found it really cute. But now I'm worried she's overworking herself. 

I rest my head on her shoulder, turning to kiss her palm.   
"Can we nap till lunch? I don't really feel like doing much." Her thumb strokes over my cheek while her eyes seem to soften further as she scans my face. 

"Of course, pumpkin." I litter a few kisses along her jaw before we both settle down on the couch together. She hums, I'm sure she's relieved to finally get some rest. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I'm violently shaken awake and I personally want whoever is shaking me to know that I do not enjoy this rude awakening, pushing away the face of whoever decided waking me up was a good idea. I feel a pulsating headache coming on and definitely don't appreciate that. I soon hear a muffled Lin as I actually push her face into the couch cushions.   
"Sweetheart, can we not do this right now?" I pull my hand back immediately, snapping my eyes open to look at Lin. 

"I am so sorry, what did you need?" I cup both of her cheeks, slightly massaging the cheek I had pushed on. She sighs, closing her eyes while sinking into my touch. 

"We've slept through lunch and most of the day. It's been about 11 hours." My body takes a whole pause. I take a long blink, Lin's eyes slowly flutter open. 

"Wh— what? How did we— how did we sleep for that long?" Lin kisses one of my palms, taking her hand to rest on top of it so she can properly lean and appreciate the gesture. She's definitely even more mushy. I start to wonder if sleep what's having this much of an effect on her. 

"I'm not sure what the dealio is but, I'm going to make us some comfort food. How does jook sound?" My mouth almost starts to water at the sound of the dish. The taste of ginger, soy sauce and chilli oil dance on my tongue at the thought. It seems that Lin spots out the stars in my eyes as she laughs while leaning in for a kiss. "Come and sit at the table. I'll make some fresh and even some extra for tomorrow if you want it."

"On it, sugar!" She seems to know exactly how to get me to jump up, as best as I can, off of her and towards the kitchen table. I can only hear her chuckle as I make my speedy journey to the table that felt miles away. I made it and sat down once she had started preparing her ingredients.   
Watching her cook and work around the kitchen is of course a daily thing, I get to see how calm and collected she is. She's actually pretty quiet as she cooks, paying very close attention to the food and making sure every ingredient is added at the right time. At times where she has to wait for the food to cook, she usually comes over to talk or she'll sit by me and we'll cuddle up on colder days. I'm guessing today is one of those days as she moves her chair right up against mine and brings me against her chest. She kisses along my face and then catches my lips. I hum, shuffling closer and resting my head in the valley between her neck and shoulder. "You seem like you're in a good mood." I mumble as she takes my hand in hers, tracing over the small burns and scars. 

"Mm. Had a good rest with you cuddling up to me." She plants a kiss on the top of my head and sighs, tightening the grip her hand has around my waist. 

"Maybe I should make you stay here longer if you're going to act so mushy after a good few hours of sleep." Her laugh echoes through the first floor, making me laugh along with her. Her laugh is the softest laugh I've ever heard. Her whole face lights up and I can feel the rumble in her chest. 

I'd love to sit and just be with her but she gets up to go check on her cooking.   
"I would absolutely love to stay with you pumpkin, but I am only limited to today off and then I'm straight back to work. I hope you're feeling better than this morning though." I rub one of my eyes, feeling this groggy feeling catch up to me from out long nap. I lean on the table and I just wait for her to finish cooking. 

"My leg's definitely doing better. But I already miss sleeping, sugar." A yawn makes it's way after I finish speaking, small tears form and I wipe them away with a hand. Lin laughs softly while she's so far from me. 

"Won't be much longer, I promise." I place my head onto my arms on the table, closing my eyes for the while. It actually does take quite a bit longer than I expected and I feel myself almost fall asleep at the table. I can't help but reflect on the future as I try to stay awake. 

_Just one week left of staying at home with Lin. It's all been so quiet. I don't think I can go straight to work after all of this. I'm seriously going to miss this more than almost getting stabbed everyday at work._

_Why can't it just stay like this . . ? But I can't really do much, huh?_

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this an excuse to write even more about soft and domestic Lin? Absolutely.   
> Has it got to stop soon? Double yes.   
> What I've got planned is definitely the first of a few separations between reader and Lin, but don't worry — there's no breaking up or anything because I'm not that mean


	26. A cast and quickies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's another week until you're able to properly walk and get the cast taken off. Lin doesn't show up to the house without a surprise, she wins herself a final night at the house.

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"You ready to go, sweetheart?" Lin's voiced echoed through the house to where I was, upstairs. I'm shuffling around the bedroom to make myself look presentable. It's a good way into November and today was the day I was going to get my cast taken off. 

"Coming down now!" I hastily take my crutch and make my way down the stairs without any need for it. Lin's here on break and offered to drop me off on her way back to the station, I said yes of course. She stands my the door, her arms crossed firmly across her chest. The tense aura around her softens once I get her attention. I come up to her, taking her chin between my fingers to tilt her head up into a kiss. Her arms slide away from her chest and grip my waist, bunching up fabric I had previously tucked into slacks. I pull myself away from her and rest my forehead on hers. "Let's get this stupid cast off, huh?"

A light laugh comes from Lin and I genuinely can't get the sound out of my head.   
"Let's go." She leaves me with a small peck before going to open the door to head out. I follow after fixing my shirt, locking the door and kicking snow away from the doorstep. 

The ride to the hospital seems vaguely bittersweet. I'm glad to be getting this damn cast off so I can move properly but this is the end of Lin checking in and caring for me. For the time we spent together, I'm happy that Lin's been able to be so comfortable and so... sweet. From the first time I met her, I never thought she'd be so caring as a partner. I seriously need to think about some way to repay her.   
"Linny?" I sink into the seat, resting my eyes. 

"Mm, yes dear?" She hums, her tone so much lighter than how she'd normally talk. 

"Are we... going to be going public once I get back to work?" I had been just a tad nervous about saying I'm the one dating Lin Beifong, Chief of police. Especially since I've _never_ had a relationship before. If she did want to tell everyone that was fine by me but, I don't think I would be prepared to be pampered in Republic City just because my girlfriend is the Chief. 

"If you want to. I would much rather have my private life stay private though." The satomobile begins to slow down and I assume she's parking. I open my eyes to see the hospital building tower over the car. My attention shifts to her and she offers me a warm smile once we're parked. 

"I'd like to keep everything private. But I just want to make sure it was okay with you since... y'know. Relationships are a two way kind of thing." I mumble, rubbing the back of my neck. I enjoy everything we do together, sleeping in and eating and everything, but it is all very new to me. I never thought I'd be this stuck on a singular person before. I've heard from Zuko and Mai how a perfect relationship goes, communication and listening is very important apparently. 

Lin reaches over and holds the hand I've rested in my lap. Her eyes stays on her motion until her fingers intertwine with mine, attention shifting to my eyes.   
"It's been a while since I've last been in one so, I guess I'm just as new as you are. But yes, relationships are a two way thing." I lift our hands and press a kiss to hers. "Now go and get that cast taken off, I'd like to see you back to work tomorrow pumpkin." 

I groan. I completely forgot that I had work tomorrow.   
"Can I at least have a kiss before I leave and never see you again?" I pout, leaning towards her and against her. She laughs as she pushes my face away. 

"You're so dramatic. But yes, yes you can have a kiss." She still laughs along as she speaks, a goofy smile making it's way onto my face. I cup one of her cheeks as she cups one of mine and we both lean in for a kiss. Staying for a little longer, I then pull away to open the passenger's side door. 

"I'll see you soon, honey." I make my way out of the satomobile as best I can and hang around just a little longer. 

"See you tomorrow, love." I shoot her a smile and I shut the door. I'm hesitant to turn away and head to the great big building behind me but while I'm in though, she drives off. 

I take in a sharp breath.   
"Love you." 

——————◇◇◇——————

It's nice to be able to walk home and even nicer to cook myself something for dinner. I rest both my hands on my counter as I wait for a pot to boil and I'm stuck in my thoughts. I can't stop imagining Lin and I cooking together. The radio I never have on is on, we both sing a duet and dance as best we can when we don't have to pay attention to the food. Or maybe I just come up behind her while she cooks, hands wrapping around her waist and kisses on my cheek and jaw. We sway as we listen to jazz music and it turns into a soft make out session as I lift her up onto the very counter I rest on. Either way, I'm happy and so is she. 

_Spirits, it's quiet without her. I never once realised how empty this place is._

As I finish up making dinner, I hear the revving of a loud motorbike. I frown, reminded of the very bike I crashed. I'm settling down to eat when I hear someone shouting outside.   
"Y/n! You better come out soon!" I'm up so fast I knock my own chair to the ground, fumbling around with keys I manage to open the door in record time. Lin's right outside. 

"Lin!" I slide on the first pair of shoes I'm able to get to, luckily a pair of trainers, then run out to her. It may be absolutely freezing but, I run to hug her. 

She grunts as I collide with her and I hold her tight as anything.   
"Guess what I got back from Varrick." She plants a kiss to the top of my head and I bury myself into her to try to stay away from the cold. Even though it was a short run, I have not worked out in a while so I have to catch my breath. 

"My beautie's back home." I kiss her on the cheek as I step away. "And so is my bike, I guess." I laugh, watching her face turn a cherry red. I can almost see steam from her face. 

"Let's just get this into your garage. _You_ also have to promise not to ride it anywhere no matter how late you are." Lin wags a finger in front of my face before crossing her arms. I let out a snark laugh and then start a walk back into the house. 

"I'll go open the garage then." I wink and jog back, taking my shoes off at the door and head into the garage. Even though I hadn't spent long outside, there was an obscene amount of snow on my trainers and I definitely don't want that anywhere in my house. I just hold down the garage button and I can't help but wonder if it has always been this slow in opening a singular door. I hear my lovely bike pull into it as soon as it's properly open. Seeing Lin ride my bike has to be one of the hottest things I've ever seen. Strong woman on a strong bike. I would like her to strongly grip my throat, definitely planning to say that out loud one day. 

"You going to close the garage or are you going to keep staring?" She's still sat on the bike even though she's turned it off. There's that smug look on her face. Goddamnit. I close the garage door without a word, only a pout on my face. I don't have her in my line of sight but soon feel her arms around my waist. "Have you eaten yet?" Her breath travels, catching my ear. My breath hitches at the heat. 

"No I— uh, I was just about to eat." I take my hand from the wall once the garage is shut, turning in her arms to sling my own arms around her shoulders. She leans in, looking at my lips and then back up to my eyes. 

"Mind if I stay one more night?" I lean down and kiss her, keeping my eyes closed when we part. 

"Stay as long as you like, sugar. I don't mind at all." She pulls me down and I'm soon pushed against the wall behind me. I let out a small groan as I am, her tongue now in my mouth. We fight for a bit until I let her lead, my hands start to travel around her body and I've never been so glad about a cast being taken off. I feel her hands grip my waist tighter. Then one moves down my thigh. 

_holy fucking shit I'm hard._

I'm one hundred percent sure I'm messing up my slacks as she continually rubs against me. We're forced to part as we both desperately need to breathe but she just kisses along my neck. She nips and bites, I have to use one of my hands to stop myself from making any loud noises and I bite down on my middle and ring finger. She stops teasing me to grip onto my zipper. Her voice comes in soft, hushed.   
"Can I have a taste, pumpkin?" I let out a struggled breath. 

"P— fuck please." Her kisses litter my jaw and then bite at my neck before I hear her drop down. My breaths come in heavy as I look down at her. She's on her knees, her hands on my thighs and she leans forward. She slowly pulls down my zipper and I soon see my cock in both her hands. She slowly moves her hands along my length. 

"Spirits, you're bigger than I remember." I bring my hand back into my mouth to stop from making too much noise again. She kisses along me, each kiss sends electricity through me and I couldn't be more desperate for her to stop teasing me. I see a glint in her eye as she removes one hand and lowers her head onto me. My breath hitches. Her tongue feels so perfect. She gets about halfway before beginning to bob her head, each time getting lower. Breathing becomes a chore as I feel my face burn up. Her hands grip my waist as she makes it all the way down. Impressive as it may be, I can't exactly form words so well as she uses her hands and mouth in quick succession to get me off sooner. 

I bite down on my fingers harder, spit falling from my mouth. I can't help but think how dirty she looks on her knees like this for me in her uniform. She seems to know exactly as she's doing and I hold my breath.   
"Lin I— I'm." I remove my fingers briefly but then bite down as soon as I can. 

"Go on. Do it." She takes two small breaks to tell me what to do. Her hands don't take breaks and when her mouth gets back to work, I finish there and then. She chokes, tears forming momentarily in her eyes before she blinks them away. I lean my head back as she swallows. My legs bend and I struggle to hold myself up for a bit. She zips my slacks back up and plants a kiss to my cheek. She removes the hand from my mouth and wipes away the spit trails on the sides of my mouth. "Next time, you make more noise. I want to hear you." 

Her words send a chill down my spine, it's almost enough to get me hard again.   
"Yes, yes anything you want." I close my eyes catching my breath. She kisses along my jaw softly, as if she hadn't just given me the best head in my bloody garage. 

"Catch your breath, I'll be in the kitchen making me a dinner and us lunch for tomorrow." She gives me a squeeze and heads off out of the garage. I take more than a moment just steadying my breathing and I can't get the thought of her on her knees out of my head. I'm really like this side of her. 

She works peacefully in the kitchen. My food is barely still warm and I just tuck into it. I finally notice her uniform is off and somewhere around the house as her hips sway to some type of melody and she flexes when mouthing a certain lyric. I close my eyes at the sight. I want her to just absolutely demolish me with those arms. She could easily choke me if she flexed around my neck and I honestly want that to be how I leave this nation. I take in a deep breath and then continue to eat. This woman is going to be the death of me and she knows it.   
I finish my food while she continues to cook, walking up to wash my bowl. She looks over at me and smiles. I head over and hug her from behind once I've dried my hands, kissing her.   
"You know, I never would've expected you on your knees the first day I've gotten my cast off." I whisper, making sure my breath tickles her ear. She's chopping something but I don't really pay attention, planning for something else as my hands play with the band of her trousers. 

"Sorry I just— couldn't help myself." She leans into my touch. Her breath is starting to get rocky as I massage just above her trousers under her shirt. Her hand starts to chop slower and I see her hand just stop for a second. 

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I loved it... but remember what I said this afternoon? Relationships being a two way thing?" She bites her lip and I move to kiss her neck, a small noise that I've missed so dearly escapes her. Her hand stops chopping up whatever's on the board and I stop everything I'm doing. "Ah, ah. You stop and I won't let you finish. We both need to eat tomorrow, right? Have you finished cooking your dinner?" She whines and I grab hold of her face to make her look at me. 

"Yes. I've cooked my dinner but can't I just— take a break?" She looks at me with her best rendition of puppy dog eyes and I kiss her. 

"You can if you want. But I would like to see how long you last on my rules." I see her eyes dance at the thought and she narrows her eyes at me, taking her face from my hands and continuing to chop up ingredients. 

"I'm sure I can do it easy." Lin's hand goes back chopping how she usually does but I slide my hand down her trousers and she gradually slows. I'm sure she remembers what rules she's on as she picks up the pace. 

I rub against her panties and she's soaked them all the way through. I'm sure there's a change of clothes for her somewhere around the house so I'm sure she isn't worried about completely soaking the panties through so I continue to tease her. I pull out a lovely string of soft noises out of her and I could bend her over on the spot but this is all about her. I desperately want to hear the dirtier noises from her echo through the house, placing my hand against her soft skin and feeling how wet she really is. Her hand trembles but she continues to chop as well as she can. I laugh just by her ear, a deep rumble. I run my fingers along her folds and just make sure my fingers are wet. I slowly insert my fingers into her and her breath becomes rocky, my fingers massaging along her walls to find some kind of rough or sweet spot. She finally gives in, placing the knife on the chopping board as she ducks her head and her body moves towards me.   
"Looks like you won't finish tonight." She looks over her shoulder with such a pleading look, biting her lip with a brilliantly red face. "Fine you will. Turn around and lean on the counter." I take my hand from her and she quickly turns, tugging at her trousers to pull them down as I kneel down. If she gives me such a pretty look on her knees, I'll give her something to remember. 

"Come on, hurry. I don't want to wait." She takes one of her hands to run through her hair while her lip is still firmly between her teeth. I enjoy the look on her face for a little longer before she then grabs a handful of my hair and pushes me towards her. My hands grip her thighs firmly as my tongue gets to work. I run the flat of my tongue along her, making sure to flick the swollen bud at the top of her slit. She gives me moans that echo through the house just like I've imagined. I stay on her clit, taking my hands and continuing to fuck her with my fingers. Her hand grips my hair tighter and she gets me to lightly bite. Her head rolls back, her knee going to rest on my shoulder. I pump my fingers in and out of her at the fastest pace I can keep up, nipping at her clit while sucking. She tightens around my fingers while she just screams out, riding out a wave of ecstasy. Her breathing is laboured while I simply lick up the mess I've caused. She takes her hand from my hair and uses both of her hands to hold herself up as her legs have a slight shake to them. I come up from the floor, pulling up her trousers as I do. 

"Was that good?" I allow her to use me to keep herself up as I wrap my arms around her waist. She's busy catching her breath. 

"Fuck, yes. Holy shit." Lin kisses along my neck and jaw, then catching my lips in a kiss. We stand together for a while. Just thankful that we're together. 

I hum, fixing her hair she had messed up.   
"Do you want to eat and I'll cook our lunch? Then we can head off to sleep sooner." I rest a hand on her cheek and pull away to look at her. Her eyes are half lidded and I can already tell that she wants to go to bed now. 

"Yes, thank you." She reaches up for a last kiss. I let out a wheeze as she hugs me tight before heading to the table with a bowl. I pick up where she's left off, quickly understanding what dish she had been preparing for. My mind is thick with disbelief at the two quickies that have happened tonight. I can almost believe that Lin is even going out with me and this is definitely something else. I'm absolutely buzzing. 

We finish up for the night and headed up to the bed. I pull her close as we settle under the covers and she wraps herself around me, peppering my face with kisses. I laugh, getting her back. We laugh together for a little longer before settling down properly. I kiss the top of her head as she rests her face against my chest and hums. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmm hor ney  
> I'm just happy about writing some ✨spicy✨ scenes because I am [insert above] for Lin orz


	27. healing seems harder than ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a rocky start to the morning but you both get into work. Robi avoids you like the plague and the boys update you on the situation. Team avatar is also there to welcome you back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stim warning for the beginning

——————◇◇◇——————

I groan as soon as I regain some type of consciousness. Making it hard to breathe, there's a heavy as anything weight on my chest which currently rests up against my throat. I peep down at what could've happened while I was asleep and it seems like Lin situated herself onto my chest. Her head is what's right up against my windpipe. It takes a little more looking around when I realise that I'm sprawled out in the middle of the bed with some of the covers hanging off of Lin's side of the bed. I shut my eyes tight, already cursing myself just in case I pushed her off the bed last night.   
"Damnit." 

My hands move to rest under her tank top on the small of her back. They then wrap around her to pull her in tight, I simply want skin to skin contact this morning. She shifts to move down and I take in a yawn as the pressure on my neck disperses. As she moves, her tank top rises further. I buzz at the skin contact, tracing shapes with my thumbs. It's unbelievably warm with her in bed. I'm definitely going to miss waking up with her. She's so still and that light snoring she does never fails to make me coo or smile. I take in the quiet moment but from the way her fingers start to trace my bicep, I know she's already awake. I just have to tilt my head down to kiss the top of hers. She responds quickly, looking up at me with her sleepy, half lidded eyes and I give her a morning kiss before she lays her head back on my chest.   
"Goodmorning—" 

She's cut off by a yawn and she couldn't look more beautiful this morning.   
"Oh big yawn." Her hair falls in front of her face. I go to move some strands from her face and hear a chuckle. 

"Did you have a good sleep, sweetie?" She takes my hand between hers, allowing me to play with her fingers before she kisses my palm. Lin closes her eyes as her hand holds mine to her cheek. I run my thumb over her soft skin, enjoying the contact once again. 

"Mm. As good as I can knowing I have to get back to work today." I kiss her forehead, now planning to sit up as I shift around. Lin doesn't help at all. She continues to just lay on my chest while holding my hand hostage. Time passes and I continue trying to sit up. I finally manage to and Lin locks her feet behind my back. I get nervous. I start to overthink. I really don't like how compromised I am right now. 

I've been in this position before. It didn't end up being any type of good. My back arches by itself and I tense fully. My arms pull away from Lin and I feel a rise in all my vitals. Breathing makes my throat dry. Lin takes her head from my chest and her eyes look up to mine but I'm not one for eye contact right now.   
"Are you alright?" She's so close. Her words seem louder than they should be and I can only hear it as shouting. My hands bunch up. Both run through the sides of my hair but one taps a palm just above my ear. 

"Off. Off." I can only muster one word in trying to prevent myself from some type of overload of emotion. The pressure against my body disappears. I shut my eyes tight but feel the covers fall onto my legs and the unwelcome touch makes me feel this unexplainable anger. I shove the covers away from me.   
My palms rub circles into the sides of my head until the repetitive motion of hairs against my skin begins to irritate me. My hands draw back. The circular motion had been a big help until the feeling of spiky hair had messed it up. My breathing does almost steady itself and I begin to put myself through my favourite motions. I tap my shoulders with just my finger tips, tap my chest with the sides of my fists, and then finally rub my hands down the curves of my neck. I find myself slowing down considerably well. When I open my eyes, I don't place my hands anywhere just yet but take a look of my surroundings to make sure I'm where I should be. 

Lin stands very close to the bed, almost kneeling on it. There's a horribly worried look in her eyes. At times like this, another person witnessing me stimming puts me on edge.   
"Y/n, are you okay?" 

_First name no pet name. She thinks I'm a freak doesn't she?_

I don't make eye contact with her at all and I sigh, nodding.  
"Mm." I'm careful to not touch the covers of the bed or the actual bed as I move to get up on the opposite side from Lin. 

"Are you sure?" She comes into my line of sight and she offers both her arms. She's expecting a hug from me but feeling fabric is the last thing I want right now. I avoid touching her palm but I do take one of her hands. I place my palm on top of her knuckles, knowing that her skin is so soft helps with not making everything so... ew. 

I nod again, comfortable with not speaking much right now. Lin seems okay with my answer. It doesn't feel like she's okay with it though. There's this creeping feeling as we walk downstairs together. I really start feeling like she's not okay with any of this right now. She's going to break up with me now that she knows I have things wrong with me. I don't deserve her at all. 

It's until we finish breakfast that a word is said from either of us. Lin looks at me as we both get ready from separate sides of the bedroom. She wears a face I've not seen or, at least, haven't seen much of. Her eyebrows are pinched together with her eyes full of this pain. It looks like regret.   
"Y/n... was it... was it because of me? Did I cause that?" I scan her face but the look stays very much the same. 

I look down at the jumper I hold in my hands. I'm horrendously unhappy with her using my first name but I just have to reassure myself that it's because she's worried.   
"It's... not you. It's my past. It's just..." I have trouble finding my words. I grip my jumper tighter. "... hard to speak right now." I turn away from her for the moment. If I talk about any of this right now I'll just start crying. It's best not to even think about anything. 

"When we're in my office taking our break, do you think you'll be able to tell me then? You know, more about yourself. I'll answer questions you have about me as well." I look over my shoulder at her. Her head tilts to the side ever so slightly. She's somewhat interested in what I have to say. 

I try my best at a smile to try to ease some of the possible fears she might have.   
"Mm." 

When we're ready, I pull her to the side before she walks out of the bedroom. I hold the cold metal close. It's smooth, making me repetitively run my hand down her back. She eases herself into my form and we stand together long enough to sync our breathing. 

——————◇◇◇——————

The walk to the station is spent in silence. When we walk in, I keep my eyes to the ground and stay as close to Lin as I can. I can only imagine Lin sending these death stares at officers as I hear all writing stop and begin almost simultaneously. She allows me to walk in first and is quick to lock her door when she steps in. There's already a stack of paperwork on her desk. I, of course, head over to sit in my regular chair but she stops me with a hand around my wrist.   
"Sit in my chair. I'll be back in a second, okay?" I raise my eyebrow at her but she takes her hand away from me to take off her coat, confusing me even more. She motions for me to come down and I do, soon finding her coat around me with a kiss to my forehead. I smile so stupidly at such simple actions. She places her forehead to mine as my face now has a light amount of blush covering it. I hum but lose my smile when she goes to leave. I bring her coat close to me and take in the smell of my favourite Chief before settling down in her seat like she said. I wait patiently for her to return, still using her comforting scent that keeps my blush. The door opens not long after and I stare at Lin walking in with my office chair. 

_as caring as she is, what the fuck is she doing with my chair?_

Lin continues her walk in even after spotting me starting, I guess she doesn't want to explain just yet. She locks the door as she places her chair near mine and it finally clicks. She knows I'm not feeling too good and doing what we usually do during dinner. She sits down right by me and I find her arm around my waist to pull me to her side. I breathe out slowly as I fully relax with the comforting scent and touch of my girlfriend. For this morning, although it might not have had a good start, right now nothing else can make me happier than Lin. She takes the time to just sit in silence with me and everything else doesn't exist other than us. I just feel the beating of her heart and the steady pace of her breathing.   
"Thanks, hun." 

——————◇◇◇——————

I lean back into the chair fast enough to huff. Lin looks over her glasses at me, then moving to wrap me up with both her arms around my waist.   
"Tired, pumpkin?" Even after talking about our privacy, I never would've thought she would be this open about affection or PDA in the office. The more I think about it, maybe the dream I had of us in her office isn't too far off of what'll happen in future. 

"Is is break yet?" Through working in almost complete silence these past few hours, I think I've almost forgotten about this morning. The feeling of dread has almost completely subsided. 

She kisses along my jaw with a small laugh before going back to her work.   
"I think it is. If you're okay to go out by yourself then you can go grab us some coffee. If not, I'll go grab us some." I shoot her a smile, getting up from my chair. 

"I'll go, I've got to say hello to some friends I haven't seen in a while." Lin catches my hand before I leave, squeezing it. She looks at me so soft, no trace of any Beifong scowl or Chief demeanor. I bring her hand up to kiss the knuckles. At this point in time, I guess neither of us want to spend much time away from one another. 

I let go and head out. I make direct eye contact with Robi at the coffee machine. I keep eye contact as I head over but she scurries away before I can even think about saying something to her. I shrug it off, I guess I'll have to talk with her some other time. It does look like she's busy since she's now scribbling away at her desk with her head bowed. I get to making coffee for me and Lin but hear a sharp gasp from a fair bit away from me.   
"Pops!" Before I can even turn around, Mao appears and jumps on me. 

"Mao!" He holds onto me as tight as he can, making me emit a horrible wheezing sound. Hunter's right by me with his hand on my shoulder. 

"Welcome back, pops." I start feeling like the name suits me as I definitely feel too old to deal with the twins right now. I grumble, patting Mao's back. 

"How's it been, boys?" Mao loosens his grip just enough so I'm able to breathe. He still grips onto me, bunching up my jumper and untucking it from my slacks. Hunter gets to making the two coffee's I was supposed to make. 

"Boring. It's all paperwork for me and Ro. Mao gets put on patrol more often than us." Hunter answers for them both as Mao gets comfy. I just accept my fate and allow the touchy waterbender to hug me. 

"Mm. I get back to paperwork now. Speaking of Ro though, what's up with her?" I twiddle with my fingers as they rest on Mao's back. 

Hunter rubs the back of his neck, avoiding from looking at me. "She says she feels real guilty about what happened between you two. I'm not sure what she's trying to do but..."

"She'll come around soon. I know it. The group'll— the group will be back together and we can go out for drinks again." Mao looks up at me from my chest, stars are basically in his eyes as he keeps his optimistic attitude. 

Hunter taps my shoulder. "Here's your coffee, seen you make them enough." I roll my eyes, taking the cups from him. I stand there for a moment, expecting the little waterbender to let go. "Mao. Mao you have to let go of him."

He sulks before letting go of me. "See you soon, pops." I elbow his side as I pass. 

"See you around, kids." I make my way back to the office but there's an officer standing in front of the door. I soon find out it's Mako as he squabbles around, leaning on the door knob. "Mako? What the fuck are you doing?"

"Uh— we, uh, I'm just... hanging around?" He's visibly sweating, avoiding my eyes and frantically looking around the room. I raise my eyebrow as I think over his choice of words. 

"We?" I lean a little into his personal space, putting pressure onto the situation. 

"Okay fine, we wanted to surprise you but Chief won't let us so I'm trying to stall you because we've got you something in Chief's office." He caves almost immediately, it's actually pretty impressive how fast he explains everything. 

"Hold on. Stalling me why?" I keep my hands as still as possible, a deadpan of a face too. I just want my coffee and my girlfriend to cuddle with. I am but a simple man. That is all I want. 

"Well we actually forgot to wrap it. Originally because we were going to surprise you, it wasn't much of a big deal that we forgot." He plays with his hands and keeps his eyes low. I stand straight, giving him his space now I know what's happening. 

I sigh. "Can we just go in since you've told me now, I don't really care if it's wrapped or not." I can already feel a headache coming on. 

"Bolin's, uh, supposed to get us once they've wrapped everything they need to—"

"Hey, bro! Oh hey y/n. Didn't know you'd be coming by the office anytime soon. You wanna come in?" Bolin pokes his head out from the office, almost knocking Mako over. 

I laugh, smiling as I walk in with him. "Sure, Bolin." 

Korra hooks her arm around my shoulder, almost knocking both coffee's out of my hands. "Surprise, y/n! We all got you a few things since, you know, all that time alone must've been boring." I notice a few wrapped boxes on the desk as I sit by Lin. 

"Well I wasn't alone I—" I hold my cup between both my hands, not really thinking before I plan to take a sip. 

"Open the damn presents." Lin narrows her eyes at me and I can only laugh. 

"Yes, Chief." Inside the first box there's a pair of plush brothers, Mako and Bolin. I start opening the other boxes as I set the plush characters to the side. "Oh these are adorable."

"Me and Korra worked on the design. We all actually sewed them together." Asami stands by Korra, squeezing her arm. 

"There's even one of the Chief, although she doesn't look as angry as she usually is." Korra adds on as I open the box with a Chief Beifong plush and a plush of me. 

"I am not." I hold the plush of her up in front of my face, wiggling it back and forth. "This is stupid."

I open the last box, it has a Korra with a mini Naga and Asami. "The little Naga with Korra. Which actually reminds me, I've got to meet Naga one day." I bundle up the plush characters together and I can't help but laugh at the team's attempt to make me feel less lonely. 

Bolin punches my shoulder as light as he can. "Mines got a cool lava rock with it! Thought it was cool to add." I look back in the box to find a small black rock. 

"Yes, it very much is Bolin." I laugh as I ruffle his hair, pocketing the rock. "Thanks, guys. This is actually really sweet." I take a look at the plush of me, tracing the scar that runs across the round face. 

"I'm glad you like it. Took the entire time you were off healing." Korra sighs, stretching her arms over her head. I struggle with the mass amounts of new plush characters I've been gifted. 

"Well, we'll have to go out now. We're helping Mako with a case." Asami hums and buts in. Lin's busy with work and just outright ignores the group in front of us. 

"Good luck and thank you again for the gifts. I really do appreciate it guys." I nod, watching them walk out. I turn to look at Lin and she grumbles. 

"What?" She doesn't even look at me as she writes. I lean over and place my head on her shoulder. Although she might be a little ticked off that our break had been invaded by team avatar, she does look pretty cute. 

"Wasn't that sweet, honey?" I pull back from her and inspect the plush of Lin. It does actually feature her usual scowl on her face. 

"I guess." She shrugs and leans back in her chair now to pay attention to me. I throw the plush of me at her. "... and what's this for?"

"Look after it for me. I feel weird owning a plush character of myself." I laugh and she follows suit a little bit after, softening up and relaxing while it's just us two. 

I bring her plush character close to me, hugging it tight.   
"You know, the real one is right here." Lin grumbles as she speaks, almost pouting. I laugh and pull her over. Planting kisses along her jaw and then catching her lips. 

"And the real one is just as cute." 

"I'll only accept you calling me cute because it's you."

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got hit by writers block oop  
> Me self projecting in my own fic and then comforting myself in my own fic? More likely than you think


	28. Dinner date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After work, you ask Lin out for a last minute dinner date. The night goes by and you find yourself too drunk to go home. You're able to find out what Lin's apartment looks like and a quick nightcap turns into something more interesting.

——————◇◇◇——————

My hand trudges on as I finish the last report I have to write for today. I honestly feel so tired I could pass out so I plan to slam my head on the desk, but a plush Lin stops me from hitting my head. The real Lin laughs just by me. I grumble and growl into the plush as I wrap my arms around it and hide my face, obviously annoyed she's clearly making fun of me.   
"Aw pumpkin, don't be like that." Lin rests her head onto her arm as she comes down to my level. Her softness takes my attention pretty quickly, making me turn my head to look at her. 

"Meanie." I blow a raspberry at her which only causes her to laugh at me again. I sink my head back into replacement Lin as the real one only seems to make fun of me. 

Metal arms wrap around my waist as a head buries into my neck.   
"Come on sweetheart." Oh she's really pulling out the pet names to get my attention. The way her breath tickles my neck seems to be part of her plan as well as a pair of soft lips. Her lips travel down, her hand moving away my jumper to get more skin. "I'll make it up to you, darling." Her voice comes in low and husky. I can already feel just that little bit uncomfortable in my slacks. I don't know how but she seems to already know what makes me tick. Or it might just be her. 

"Hm. Maybe you're not that mean." I look over my shoulder at her. She has her eyes closed as she plants small kisses on my skin. I shiver, feeling my face flush as I feel a hard on. Her glasses are off to the side but my attention comes back to her when I feel her free hand sink down to my thigh. I shift in my seat and she laughs. "Nevermind. You are so mean." I use one of my hands to try to push her away but only get the bubbly Lin I've grown to love. She laughs while trying to keep hold of me. 

"No—o, pumpkin I'll stop and I'll make it up to you." I keep a firm hold on her to keep her away from causing any more discomfort in my trousers than there already is. I give her a look, tilting my head forwards and knitting eyebrows together. 

"You'll stop what?" The mighty Chief huffs, loosening her already loose grip on me. She's almost whining. 

"I'll stop teasing you." I hum, taking my hand away from her and letting her go back to cuddling me. 

"So how are you going to make it up to me? Buy me dinner?" I entertain the thought of a candle lit dinner with Lin, we could finally have a nice date. It seems like she does as well as she gives me a kiss on the cheek. 

"That doesn't sound too bad actually. But I've still got some work to do." Lin almost pulls away from me but with a sigh from me, she tightens her hold. I look over my shoulder to catch her resting her chin on it. 

"Take me out after work then?" I start moving around, moving back into my chair. Lin moves with me but makes sure to keep her arms around me. 

"I'll get everything done in an hour or so, so do you want to wait or I'll go pick you up?" Lin kisses me quick, not trying to keep me from answering her for too long. I place a hand on her cheek, keeping her from doing work and so she pays more attention to me. 

"I'll go home and dress in something better than this jumper and slacks, I'm fine with you picking me up later." I squish her cheeks together, laughing slightly at the pout she makes. 

"I'll have to work fast then. Go, before I keep you here on my lap or something." She takes her head from between my hand, tapping my arm as she takes herself away from me. 

I lean on her shoulder. "Mm. I'm not going to lie, that does sound good." I look up at her, now wrapping my arms around hers. 

"Sweetheart."

"Got it, honey." I sigh, beginning to collect my things off of the table. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I take my time in a shower, making sure my muscles are well rested. My left hand trails over scars until it reaches my other arm. The burns seem even more sore than they should be. I make quick work of massaging the scar tissue, hoping that if I were to do this more regularly then the scar would fade quicker. But there's some part of me that knows this scar will obviously never go away. Even with how comfortable I am now with Lin, I don't think I would ever be that comfortable with my burn. 

My hand goes through my hair as I walk around my bedroom and I use my firebending to dry it faster. I dress in one of my favourite suits which is actually well suited for the winter, although I've been avoiding wearing it since I don't want to associate it with work at all. It's made of a fine silk, the inside lined with a soft fur and the whole three-piece is a dark red, almost black colour. I fit it with a black shirt, going downstairs to look for my good shoes. There's a knock at my door as I make my way over. I take a slow breath out, putting my shoes on before I open the door.   
"Oh you look beautiful, Linny."

My breath catches in my throat. She's stood in front of me with her own three-piece suit with a white shirt. I find myself reaching out to trace her curves as the waistcoat brings her waist in tight.   
"You aren't too bad yourself, darling." My eyes fall half lidded as I lower my gaze onto her body. I see a black bra peak out from the white shirt. It looks like lace. Her finger hooks my chin and makes my eyes flick back up to meet hers. "We'll be late if you keep staring." 

"Sorry, honey." We share a small kiss before she links arms with me, taking us both to her satomobile. I settle in the passenger's side, resting a hand on her thigh as we both get comfortable. 

"You ready for a good night?" Lin starts up the satomobile. She looks over with a smile, seemingly a little nervous. 

"With you it always is." I return a smile, my thumb moves over the smooth material of her slacks. 

A light laugh comes from my beloved girlfriend.   
"Cheesy."

——————◇◇◇——————

_horny . . . horny drunk._

I smile as stupid as I can over at Lin, after all of my drinks I don't think I am thinking at all. She laughs at me and with few words, I'm taken out of the restaurant and almost led to the satomobile. Before Lin let's go of me I pull her to me. I catch her lips and kiss her as best as I can, still tasting a strong taste of my own alcoholic drink. Lin kisses back for the meanwhile before pulling away from me.   
"Get into the satomobile, I'll take us to my apartment since it's closer. I've got a surprise for you." I kiss along her jaw as she speaks to me, then travelling down her neck. I want to undress her here, make her whine and beg for me but there's a sudden loss of heat as she leaves me with a small kiss to head to her side. I whine a little, getting into my seat. 

"You get me so riled up, you know that?" I sink into the seat, trying to ignore how tight my trousers are. I find my hand moving before I can even think and it rests on my crotch. I close me eyes throwing my head back as I hear Lin start the satomobile. 

"I didn't but it's good to know, dear." She keeps her eyes from me and I groan, I don't think I've been this drunk and horny in a hot minute. I hear her tut, paying more attention to the road. "Don't make a mess in my satomobile. We're not even that far from my apartment." I peek a look over at her, her face is completely red as she drives. 

"You kept buying me drinks, Linny." I use my palm to rub up on me, feeling how stiff I am against my leg. I let out slight noises as we continue to drive. Lin occasionally looks over, spotting how she bites her lip. One hand seems to hover on the wheel before it moves to replace my hand. " _Holy fucking shit._ " I close my eyes again, whispering under my breath. Lin's hand moves roughly against me, easily riling me up even more. 

"We're almost at the apartment. Think you can hold on until we get there? I don't want the night to end that quick." One of my free hands cover my face, this side of her is the hottest thing I have ever experienced. The other hand rests over Lin's, pressing her further to me as my hips move. "Needy."

I narrow my eyes at her.   
"Just drive." A light chuckle comes from her and the pace she rubs up on me slows. I add pressure to her hand, finding her last statement about me becoming more true as I quicken how I grind my hips. A louder moan comes from me. The way she moves her hand become rougher, drawing out a regular sound of soft moans or a growl. She makes me so desperate for her touch, taking out dirty sounds from me. 

Her hand pulls away, the only sound that I can pull out is a whine.   
"Come on, we're here." She gets out of the satomobile and I only feel like putty. I breathe in quick and bite my lip before going out, trying not to make it too obvious that I'm drunk. The chilly air hits me and I can feel the heat on my face, I sigh at my failed attempt to hide I'm drunk. I should have known my damn red face would rat me out. As I grumble where I stand, Lin links her arm with mine and I find myself being taken to her apartment before I can even acknowledge that I've left the satomobile. 

I lean across to whisper in her ear, absolutely not thinking straight.   
" _After we're done with tonight, you'll have a hard time walking tomorrow._ " Her face heats up amusingly fast, her eyes widening. I laugh at the fact she tries to get to her apartment quicker and I nearly trip over my own feet. Lin's right there to keep me stable and we continue on into the apartment building. I don't pay much more mind to my surroundings until we reach a door that Lin takes out a key for. I lean on the wall while her hands fumble around under my gaze. Soon enough, we're in her apartment and I don't even wait until she locks the door, pinning her to it to meet her lips for a desperate taste. Her wrist flicks, locking the door using her bending. I pull us close as I want to start touching her right here, running my hand up her shirt and feeling how soft her skin is. 

Our kiss is feverishly long and messy, by the time we part my lungs are screaming for air.   
"Bedroom. Now." Lin pushes me off her and I'm pulled with her as we rush to her bedroom. We save time and take off shoes, suit jackets and waistcoats. I'm unbuttoning my shirt when we enter the bedroom, then I'm pushed and pinned to the bed. Lin dives in, kissing me while her hand keeps hold of both of my wrists above my head. I want to feel her, since she's got both my hands I choose to raise one of my legs between hers. My knee feels up between her. Our heavy breaths become one sided moans as she sits back on my leg, mind clearly foggy as she desperately grinds up against my leg. I pull myself up, unbuttoning my shirt while my mouth lays kisses on her neck. She seems too distracted and so focused on getting herself off that she now didn't pay any attention to me. Although I have the tightness in my trousers, her lovely noises bring me to giving all my attention to her. My hands move to unbutton her shirt and the mystery from before is revealed. She's wearing a black lace lingerie. The more skin being revealed causes me to kiss along her collarbone and I begin to leave marks, my other leg goes between hers to split them as I quickly unbuckle and open her trousers. My hand slips in and she immediately adjusts to my hand to grind up on. She's wetter than I could've ever imagined, allowing me to insert my fingers into her. Her hands cup both my cheeks and I stop in my trail of marks to look up at her. The sounds of her moans completely fills my head as she rides my hand. Her breath buckles when my thumb rubs up against her clit. Her lips meet mine and her breathing is completely irregular, breathing in deep and short. She draws back as her back arches and she let's out the loudest moan I've heard from her in a while. Her hips move slowly and continue to grind up on me as she rides out her climax. 

"Black lace, huh?" Her arms wrap around my shoulders and I'm able to whisper in her ear, she still breathes pretty rough. 

"I— fuck." I pull my hand from her and wave the fingers in front of her. She moves from my shoulder and keeps eye contact, taking the fingers in her mouth to clean them. 

"You knew you were going to get laid, didn't you? Planned to look nice while I fuck your brains out?" My fingers add pressure onto her tongue and my thumb is placed under her chin so I keep her mouth open for me, unable to answer in words. She brings out a sound that's supposed to sound like she's denying it but it ends up being a whine. I find myself with a sly smile, bring my voice down low. "I want you to take the rest of the suit off and lie down. I'd love to watch you but I want you face down, we don't want to make too much noise if you've got neighbors." I take my fingers out of her mouth and she moves off of me as soon as she can, allowing me to get up and take off my clothing. 

I strip down as I watch her wait for me. She eventually gets impatient and looks over her shoulder at me.   
"You want to keep a lady waiting, do you?" She bunches up the covers in fists as she grumbles. I chuckle lightly at her remark, taking out my cock and showing off how hard she's made me. I walk up to her and my hand goes to grab her hip. I look down, her head turning away from me as I survey her body. 

"You're so hot. I love your body." My hand trails down from her hip and hooks the top of black lace. I pull it down, the piece of fabric hangs off of one of her legs. I slowly thrust into her and she's as perfect as I remember. I pull her down by her hips, earning a long moan. She holds onto the covers tighter, clutching at the sheets. I quicken my pace and roughen up my thrusts. I grunt with each move. Her moans mix with mine and I'm afraid her neighbors will definitely hear us tonight. Eventually I'm slamming into her, I bring my hand up and slap her ass. The slap echoes around the room as well as a louder moan. I bring my hand up again and the slap brings out a string of swears from her. I put the hand back onto her hip but she looks over at me. 

"Fuck— ah! Do it again— don't stop!" As per her request, I go to slap her other cheek as I watch the reddening Chief. She continues to stay loud as we continue on. I feel her tighten around me as her head briefly falls into the covers. I let out a deep growl, slapping her again. We're both so close. There's tension building up with each slam into her, the echo of dirty sounds fill up the entire apartment. I hit my peak and she seems to as well as we both shout out for each other. I come down flush against her back, grumbling by her ear as I completely let go and pump her full. She trembles under me and I clearly feel how her legs shake. 

After a while, I pull away from her and only realise now how sweaty we both are. I pull out and fall onto the bed right next to her. I'm trying to catch my breath when she traps me under her with kisses.   
"Sugar— hold on, let me just breathe." Lin rests her head on my chest and hums. 

"Take a break now or sleep? I think I could go for a second round." Her finger traces small hearts on my chest. The tickling feeling stops me from answering but I soon feel her nipping at my skin. She obviously plans to leave marks and I'm not mad at it at all, I'm all hers as much as she is all mine. 

"Second round it is."

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thinking about posing a short story because I'm just writing with Lin to get out of some writer's block  
> Might make several short stories 😗🤚


	29. Shower calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your back stings in the shower and you feel Lin hovering outside the door. After the quick shower, work comes by but you receive a call. King doesn't sound too pleased.

——————◇◇◇——————

A finger trails along my chest, along the old scar on my pecs. The sensitive scar tissue tickles. It almost makes me fidget.  
"How did I get so lucky?" Lin's morning voice echoes through my sleepy thoughts. I'm tired, more than any other day and any other morning. I don't really wake up properly any time soon but I pull the covers over my shoulder to stop the nipping cold at my open skin. 

_Am I naked . . . ?_

_Holy shit. Am I naked and in bed with LIN BEIFONG?_

I grumble when I feel Lin squishing my cheeks together.   
"Sugar—" I sigh. "Goodmorning." I open my eyes to look at her, her own eyes softly looking into mine. She smiles and laughs before giving me a kiss. Spirits I love her. 

"How'd my handsome pumpkin sleep?" Her hand lets go of my face, grazing over my cheek and tracing my jaw. I hum at her touch and bring her closer. I feel her body against mine. I'm lucky I'm still so sleepy or else this morning would turn out much differently. "Hm?"

"I'm still tired but, I really had a good sleep here. I didn't get to say it last night but you've got a nice apartment. Minimalistic. I like it." I close my eyes and let my head sink into a lovely soft pillow. I hear a few murmurs from Lin but I don't catch any words. I don't really pay much attention, sinking in and out of sleep. That is until she kisses along my jaw, biting at my neck ever so lightly. 

"Plan on getting up any time soon?" I groan like usual. Her touch and kisses drive me crazy. 

"If you keep this up I might have to, Linny." I open an eye to look down at her. She covers me in soft kisses with her eyes closed, occasionally sucking on the skin to leave a mark. I close my eye and smile to myself, absolutely nothing could ruin a moment like this. 

"Well you're going to have to soon, we slept in." My eyes snap open. 

"What." My smile fades as quickly as it came. As much as I don't really do well with work, I do not like going in late. I look around the bedroom to try and find a clock in the room and land on one on Lin's bedside table. It is a lot later than I would wake up at. It's a _lot_ later. "Shit I need to go home to change, Lin." I grovel, massaging my temples. 

"Save time and shower here, I'm going to stay in bed a little longer." She hugs me tight for a moment and I start waking up properly, moving around to let me get up. 

I sit myself up on the bed with my elbows, looking over her body. I still can't get over how she's mine. Actually my girlfriend. We're _dating_. I lean over to her to plant a kiss on her lips.   
"You know, you could come join me and save even more time." I allow my voice to carry over to graze past her neck. Her face burns with a bright red. Oh how I've missed seeing her blush. I laugh and pull away from her with a kiss, beginning to get up. "I'm just kidding, but the offer is up if you want it Linny." I turn from her and hear a sharp gasp. Raising my brow, I ignore it and continue getting up. Although I do want to find out what spooked her. I walk butt naked around the bedroom, trying to find a towel around somewhere. 

"There's, uh, towels in the bathroom." Lin's feeble voice comes through and I look over my shoulder at her. She's absolutely stuck on looking over my body, her face completely red. For once, I'm not the one staring. I roll my shoulders and head into the bathroom, laughing to myself. 

In the shower, as the water runs down my back I feel a sharp sting. I fully yelp and back into the wall furthest from the shower head. Y'know, I didn't expect to have this much of a rude awakening. But I decide to figure out whatever's going on with my back, turning and feeling the water run down the full area of my back.   
"Fuck that stings." As I try to focus on finding out what's up, I hear Lin walk around the bedroom. I take my back away from the water and it finally adds up in my little himbo brain. Lin scratched up my back last night. I do have to give us both some praise, second round was definitely wilder than the first. I pay attention to my body's aches, massaging and stretching, but soon feel someone hanging around the bathroom door. "You know you can come in." I shout over to the woman I love, probably blushing and awkwardly standing by the door. 

"Uh— I'm not— I'm downstairs!" If I didn't know her well enough, I wouldn't be laughing at the definite swears coming from her right now. I flick my hair back in the shower and get ready to open up the shower for Lin to come in. 

"Just come in, hun." There's a small pause until I hear the door click open and the magnificent Chief walks in. I pull open the shower, leaning on the wall with my arms crossed while a smile grew on my face. She has a little trouble walking in and I can only feel the happiness rolling in. Not only is she limping slightly, she has hickies everywhere. They mostly end up on her neck but I spot others on her breasts or lower body. I am so proud of my own work that decorates her body. 

She huffs, her cheeks puffing out.   
"Don't you dare say anything." I laugh and hold my arms out for her. She gladly takes her place in my arms after getting into the shower with me, kissing me as soon as she could. I hum against the kiss, feeling her hands wrap tighter against me with a finger mapping out the new scratches on my back. I get caught up with her, needing to leave but wanting to stay. Her body is pressed flush to me and with her tracing my back, I find myself poking into her. She gets me hard incredibly easily. Her little laugh sends shivers down my spine. When she places her hand along my length, I loosen my grip and allow myself to let out a soft moan. We break the kiss for a moment to catch our breath. 

"Lin, we're going to be so late." Her thumb smooths itself over my lower lip as she guides me to tease her. 

"Shh... I'll take care of it. I just want you." She brings her voice down to a whisper, which I can barely hear over the running water. I feel a full body sensation of goosebumps ride over me and then I'm reminded of how wet she is. She slowly adds pressure into me in our standing position, causing my tip to almost go into her. Her rocky breath and the way she takes pressure off and on me begins to make me think she likes being teased like this, just barely entering her but if I move like this I brush up along her clit. After just a few more I get impatient. 

"Spirits. Just let me fuck you, Lin. Wrap your legs around my waist, I want to make you scream." I push us through the water, feeling it cascade down my own body while I have her pinned to the wall. 

"Shit— I didn't think you'd get that antsy about it. Thought you liked to make it slow." Lin laughs to herself, her eyes half lidded as she pokes fun at me. Oh she's getting it. 

"Follow my orders." I lean down to meet her face. My voice reverts back to something similar to my early 20s, something sharp and deep. I don't care if I'm not captain anymore, I'm sure as hell using it for sex talk. 

"Too tired. Do it for me, pumpkin." She exaggerates the pet name, making it pop as she talks. I grumble by her ear and I'm made to lift her legs as I place us firmly against the wall. Her legs wrap around me like I've asked and her arms link just behind my neck. She's absolutely dripping and I want to taste her so badly but if she wants to be fucked, she gets what she wants. I drag and direct myself along her, thrusting into her. Her soft moans turn into desperate groans as the slap of our skin meeting each other echoes through the shower. 

——————◇◇◇——————

My shoulder is lightly shaken. I grumble, sat in Lin's satomobile as she drops me off outside my house. I smooth out my shirt before I prepare to do my walk of shame as my eyes open.   
"I'll just go quickly over to the station to sort out us being this late and I'll be back to come pick you up, alright hun?" Lin reaches to link her hand with mine. I hum, squeezing her hand ever so softly. 

"You don't have to get me, I'm capable of walking to work y'know." I kiss the top of her hand. I'm not exactly against her coming back around but, it does save her from making more trips. She pulls my hand to her, bringing me forwards so she can catch my lips in a kiss. 

"Mm. I know but driving you around gets me more kisses. I don't get to kiss you as much as I want to in the office." Her announcement of loving affection really does tug at my heartstrings. I melt in her grasp, pulling her in to kiss again. 

"I better get going. I...—" I'm so close to saying I love her. Her eyes seem to sparkle as I can only guess she thinks of what I'm going to say next. But I'm scared of being shut down so fast. We haven't even been dating for a month yet. "—if you want to you can pick me up. But I will be letting you know that I'm going to be leaving just over twenty minutes after I'm ready." She plants a chaste kiss to my lips as she draws back and away from me. 

"I'll probably take around fifteen to work out our problem so I'm sure I'll be able to stop you from walking to work. Now go, we're late enough as it is." She tilts her head in my direction, trying to prove a point. I kiss her cheek and open the passenger's door. 

"See you soon then, Linny." I smile and head out, nervous for any of my neighbors if they see what state I'm in right now. I stretch my arms above my head before getting to my door and sighing. Looking over my shoulder, Lin's already gone on her way. I get into my house to hear the phone ringing. I shrug it off at first as I lock the door, but I have to take this call seriously when whoever's calling calls back immediately. I run over and pick up. "Hello?"

"Pick up your damn phone, you ass." It's King. Why is he calling this early?

"Sorry, I wasn't home. What do you need?" I'm way too tired to deal with him right now but I'm as polite as possible to get him off the phone quicker. Even though I'm usually quite abrasive with him, his last visit says I should really start taking him more seriously. 

"You've been radio silent for an incredible amount of time without telling me. And I don't see any reports of the police catching triads. Why have you been hiding from me?" I've seen his office before, it used to be my father's actually. If I'm correct, he should be sitting at the desk with his feet up with the phone as close to him as possible. This explains the literal rumble in his voice as he addresses me. 

I rub the back of my neck, leaning my head against the wall and clearing my throat.   
"I've been healing up and just recently come back to work. I've not been hiding, just off work." 

His growl lets me know that my answer is not enough. It's never been enough for him.   
"You're getting back to the beat now? I can tip you a location of a new triad coming up. I don't want them around." I cradle myself as I turn and lean my back onto the wall, this time I don't have Lin to comfort me while I'm on the phone. 

"A new triad?" I find myself becoming interested in what he has to say. I'm not even sure if this is where I should be getting my sources from. Although, I'm definitely sure I shouldn't even be talking to him. 

"Something about keeping something. I'm not even sure they're a triad but I know I don't like them. If you want, I'll send a goon or a note on where I know they're hiding out. If not, you still have to bring it up with Beifong." I hear him shift around over the phone andim worried for what he's going to do but I rest once I hear him writing. 

_Keepers of something, huh. I'm sure I've heard that before._

"No, I don't need it. I've got to get ready for work. I've just come home." I roll my shoulders. I can't stand talking to him or even listening to anything similar to his voice. 

"I won't keep you any longer then. I don't want you having to explain a one night stand to Beifong." He hangs up without further explanation on his point. I can only guess he thought I was out with a girl if I'm back this late. 

I shrug it off, heading upstairs to finally get ready. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so there is a point to this chapter I swear— it's not just me being horny for Lin again— >:T  
> Also, thinking about writing another fic where reader's a well known bender in the bending tournaments


	30. Some rough spots.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunter picks up how Chief looks at you and starts to joke with you. At home, there's a note waiting for you. After so much time being able to not worry about the ideal, it's back. You bring this up with the Chief and she sets up an investigation. Calling Zuko, you inform him about your situation and share a moment before he goes off to get Izumi to talk with you.

——————◇◇◇——————

I take a breath while I'm stood by the coffee machine, we've been working on paperwork non stop. My hand feels incredibly sore as I massage it. A hard hit to my shoulder makes me jolt up and turn to whoever decided it was okay to punch me.   
"Hey pops!" Hunter's unusually cheery voice somehow brings out a small smile from me. 

"Hey... son." I hit his shoulder as he stands next to me. I keep my smile. With whatever Zuko says, I guess he's somehow always around to remind me he raised me. I've seemingly picked up his nicknames. 

"So how's it been coming back?" He hangs around me while I make our coffee. I'm not really bothered by him to be honest. 

"Too much paperwork. Anything you need before I head back to the office?" I pick up the two cups and roll my shoulders, feeling the scratches on my back along with the little nervousness this certain look of Hunters' is. He leans forward and brings the corner of his lip up. 

"To the office with Chief, huh?" His eyebrows raise one after the other. I raise one of my own once he elbows my side. 

"Yes?" Am I stupid or something? I'm sure I'm heading back to Chief. 

"You seem like you're getting along really well." I finally understand what he tries to imply. I'm definitely telling Lin how stupid he sounds when he does this. 

"Yes, we have to for work." I continue to act oblivious to what he hints at, making him huff. Hunter obviously doesn't want to explain himself and that is exactly what I want him to do. My hands get a little uncomfortable while I continue to hold two cups. 

"It looks like... Chief likes you a little more than you'd think." He lowers his voice. I take a mental image, he's so proud of himself with his big smile plastered on his face. 

"I don't really think so. We're just colleagues." I fucked her last night, this morning and I'm definitely thinking about taking her out to dinner some time soon. I think it's safe to say we're pretty good friends. 

"Hm. You'll see, I'm right." He puffs up his chest as his arms cross over it. It definitely brings a laugh out of me. 

"I'll get going then, detective Hunter." I bump my elbow into his shoulder as I pass, either of the twins never fail to amuse me. I knock on Lin's door once I'm over and after a little while she lets me in. She works feverishly fast on her reports, writing at speeds I never even knew was possible. I set down her coffee by her as I settle down in what used to be her seat. "You will never guess what I just heard from one of your officers." She hums in response, not looking up from the paperwork she tirelessly scribbles on. "Officer Hunter came up to me, right, and he picks up conversation like usual but once I mention I'm coming back... I?" Lin closes her eyes from a moment and stretches her hand before going right back to work. Her hand's cramping and she just goes on like normal. "Lin. Take a break."

She seems alarmed at me using her first name in what feels like forever, not adding on those few extra letters that make her so soft. A long sigh escapes between those soft lips of hers I love.   
"I was listening." She continues to work, ignoring my request completely. 

I lower my voice, speaking in something vaguely strict as I try to sound mad.   
" _Lin_." I don't really like talking to her like this but I'm not even sure if she'll listen to anything else I say and obey by it. 

Some kind of small noise comes from her and I see her stiffen. She sulks, putting her pen down and sitting back with a coffee in hand.   
"Fine. Happy now?" She drinks and grovels in her seat. Although she may be obviously annoyed at the fact I'm ordering her around, I hope she isn't too mad at me. I move to sit as close to her as my chair lets me. It's not that close but still. 

"Yes, Chief grumpy pants." My choice of words gets me a side eye from her. She grumbles as she looks away and out the window, moving to shift away from me. It absolutely is my turn to try to win back her favour now. "Linny... I didn't mean it." I sulk, trying to lean across and over to her chair. 

"Hmph." She drinks from her coffee all boss-like, glaring at me over the cup. I put my own cup down and try to cling on to her arm. I successfully get her attention. 

"Sugar I don't mean it like that, I swear." I pout and bring out the puppy dog eyes. She folds so fast, moving to snuggle herself up to my side with a hum. 

"I know you didn't, pumpkin. Now, finish your story." Lin kisses my cheek as she settles down against my shoulder. I take the rest of break to ramble on about my run in with Hunter. She listens with her full attention, although she does nearly fall asleep on me. I laugh softly as she tries not to again but ultimately fails as I comb through her hair, scratching her head as I go along. 

——————◇◇◇——————

It's quiet at home. But the air feels uneasy. I walk through a home that seems like everything is still the same, everything is exactly where I put it. My eye catches to something on my chopping board. A knife secures a piece of paper to the wood and I think over getting better security in the house since it's apparently so easy to break in and leave. I grumble a little in my way over, ripping the letter from the board. 

_Dearly beloved,_

_You may not remember us anymore since your Chief was the one who had taken many of our members but, we're here and expecting a visit from you. We'd give you an address or something but our superior advises us not to. So instead we'll give you some clues to help you and your friends._

_Number one, we are an ideal - an ideology. We may fall back in numbers but our vision is bright and clear for others to see._

_Number two, this is our world. Our superior is the one true leader. They are not corrupt like your police force or government. But they are fair and just. Things that you are not, beloved._

_Finally, number three. To find us, you shouldn't have to worry much about it. Everyone knows us and we know everyone._

_Good luck, we all hope to see you soon beloved. Our superior certainly misses you._

_Keepers of the Peace._

"Holy shit. Oh fuck." I take the knife from the board, finding a small picture of an illustrated snake. "Fuck fuck fuck. This is not good." I rush around to get whatever I need, a psychology book I've previously written, a note book with a pen and the knife with everything else these idiots have left me. I'm quick to put on my shoes and forgo a jacket before rushing out my door. It's really late, I've just finished my shift, but Lin should still be at the station. 

"What kind of fu— honey? Hun, what's wrong?" Lin's sat in her chair, as expected, with the last pieces of work to finish. I try and catch my breath by the door but my body makes myself lunge forwards to scatter everything on the desk. 

"I've— Keepers of— hah— trying to kill me again!" Lin gets up from her seat, walking over to me before even looking at anything on the desk. 

"Whoa there, calm down first. Did you just run all the way here?" She closes and locks the door right by me. After she's sure we have our privacy, she brings me in and leads me to our seats. I nod while I'm breathing so heavily. Oh I can't feel my throat. 

She pulls me close, annoyed our chairs keep some sort of separation between us and see her cogs turning before she places me down on her lap. My arms move desperately to pull her tight to me, happy to hug her but I really need to tell her what's happened.   
"Lin, seriously I need to—"

"Catch your breath and calm down. Your heart is going a mile a minute right now." She interrupts me and I know it's for good reason but I can't help but get annoyed. 

I shut my eyes, tightening my jaw as I loosen my grip on her.   
"If you'd just let me explain—" 

"Sweetheart. Take a break." This is the moment I basically blow up, she doesn't listen to me and doesn't take in whatever I have to say. I pull myself away from her so she can actually pay attention and stop worrying over me. But there's a sharp pang in my chest when I see how hurt she looks. Her arms are still out and missing where I would be. "Wh—"

"This is so much more important that me right now. I had another break in, Lin." I huff as I sit back in my chair, trying to avoid looking directly at her. From the corner of my eye I see she doesn't move. I feel horrible. 

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Run the details by me." She doesn't do what I'd think the Chief of police would do when hearing about this. She doesn't get mad, she doesn't seem to react any further than knitting her eyebrows together as she reads the letter herself. Although she does complain about the group a little, she doesn't say much. 

Once I'm done explaining and go further into the snake illustration, I decide to make sure that whatever I did doesn't hurt our relationship. I know she was only trying to comfort me and I can only guess I've made herself doubt that I even like her at all.   
"Honey, are you... okay?" I set down the piece of artwork to turn to her, placing a hand on her knee. 

She glances down at my hand before going back to the letter.   
"I'm fine." I bite and chew at my lip, feeling along the scar just below it. My hand moves from her knee to her wrist. The thumb strokes over the open skin her uniform allows to be shown. 

"Are you sure? I know you were trying to comfort me and then I just—" Lin places the letter down while holding one of her fingers up. She offers a hug and I lean in close, feeling the arm of the chair dig into my side. I kiss her cheek as I settle in the crook of her neck. 

"It's okay, I understand it's important. You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, I would've put off whatever you just put on my desk and we would've started on this tomorrow if you didn't." Her hand comes up to cup my cheek, her thumb slowly stroking over it. She almost lulls me to sleep and I only realise now how tired I am. We've been working the whole day and I had to run to the station, no wonder I'm barely keeping my eyes open at the constant soft motion. Lin plants a kiss on my forehead. "But maybe we should go to bed." 

I move to rest my chin on her shoulder, looking up at her and those green eyes. The small flecks of gold take me out every time.   
"Mm. I don't want to go back home yet. These guys are really creepy." I pucker my lips while I look up, hoping she gets what I'm trying to do this time. 

A light laugh comes from my lover as she comes down to kiss me.   
"Come sleep over at mine. I can protect you as well." She smiles all bright and airy. I lean my forehead against hers and we spend a little time in silence. 

"Alright. Let's ho home then." I'm sure Lin's buzzing at me calling it home, seeing as her face lights up in such a pretty blush. She stiffens but almost immediately melts into my side. She peppers my nack and face with kisses, causing me to laugh as I try to push her face away. "Linny! We need to go!" Laughing fills the room as she continues to tickle me with kisses, now tickling me as well. 

——————◇◇◇——————

"Do you want to come home, son?" I take Zuko's call in Lin's office, her hand resting on my leg. The first thing I did this morning was call him and explain the whole situation. 

"No, no. I need to get these kids booked." This is definitely not the answer he wanted, huffing over the phone. I shut my eyes, letting out a sigh on my own. I feel Lin sink into my side as I feel her soft cheek against mine. Humming at her warmth, I smile. 

"Will you promise me you'll stay safe?" Zuko's feeble voice come out soft and nearly a whisper. I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't regret putting myself in so much danger. Just the tone of his voice makes me rethink even transferring over to Republic City, but the way that Lin wraps her arms around mine seems to melt my own worries. 

"I'll stay safe. I promise I will, Zuzu." I match his tone, trying to give him any type of comfort over the phone as I used his nickname. I hear a small laugh. 

"Alright. Well, Izumi is also in the palace right now. Do you want to catch up while you're here?" Zuko goes back to his normal voice, covering up any trace of any other feeling beforehand. He does well with hiding his emotions, I'm not going to lie. 

A light snore comes from Lin, causing me to look over and see how she's fallen asleep with my arm tightly held to her chest. I smile with a kiss to the top of her head.   
"I have some time. I should probably tell her about my situation as well. If you don't have anything else important then you can put her on." I can see Zuko thinking to himself as he comes up with something smart to say, I can only guess that he's doing this as he actually stays silent for a while. 

"I have one important thing to say. Only one." I close my eyes, leaning back into the seat and shiftling closer to the sleeping Chief by me. 

"Go on." I try my hand at guessing what he's going to say before he says anything. Running over plenty of possibilities, I land on some joke that the royal court has told him or maybe something about Druk missing how I brush his dragon mane. 

"Stay safe. I care about you son. I know you don't like the mushy stuff but, I don't know what I'd do if I found out my son's been injured badly." He stays with saying if I were to be injured badly. Knowing him, I know he can't bring himself to even hint if I'd die. I feel my eyes prick and threaten to leak at his soft voice and words. 

I breathe out slowly.   
"Thanks, pa." Although I use his other nickname more, him being my father figure really comforts me. I don't really refer to him as 'pa' anymore, I kind of grew out of it I guess. But it does make its appearance when he needs to hear it or whenever he tries to make me cry - like right now. 

"I'll go get Izumi then." 

"Talk to you soon." And with that, he leaves for Izumi. Once she's at Zuko's office and settled down, we talk for what feels like the next hour. It's nice to finally catch up with my family back home. 

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was going to write Izumi and reader talking together but I just want to move on to the next chapter 💀✌  
> I get back to proper school next week so updates might slow down even more or come out faster, depends on how stressful school's gonna be in person :/


	31. Nightmare briefing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nightmare wakes you up, but it's not your normal one. Lin's not there to comfort you so you make the wise choice to call her. Waking up together is definitely a favourite moment of yours now. After getting ready, you both walk into the station chatting away. Team avatar watch you both from the sidelines as you make Lin laugh. This is brought up in the meeting you have with the group and Lin squashes the question.

——————◇◇◇——————

_There's a cold drip of water onto my shoulder. The remnants of my burnt arm run across my stomach as the mass of painful muscle tightly grips my side. I've been thrown into a room deeply hidden in the Jade Dragon for my recovery. I'm placed in one of the many rooms in this row of damp, cold cave. They're used for the injured or even captured opposition. So there's not much but the drip of infested water on my clothed shoulder._

_I use my other hand to wipe away free falling tears as they continually drop from my swollen eyes. The only thoughts that go through my head are of hate. Hatred of my father and the place he's come from. Hatred of how I was brought up._

_**This Fire Nation has never done anything good for me. Yet here we are. I could take it down from the inside. If I joined some secret group working to dismantle the crown, I'm sure I could take it down with my own hands. I'm sure he'd pity me.** _

_My own pathetic plan to overthrow the royals flashes through my mind again and again. I briefly mentioned it to Lin on thinking about other groups that were after me, but I actually went along with this plan until I confided in Izumi about it. I grew close to them once they let me stick around and this dingy cell is the main reason why. It's the main reason why I became a criminal psychologist in the first place. I don't want anyone to get stuck in this life like I did._

_I sit and fester in the corner until a thick shine of black catches my eye. I don't remember this being part of the nightmare._

_It moves so slowly, twisting and turning as it does. Scaled features decorate a long thing of rope. It gradually comes further into view, I'm able to spot how the scales shift colour ever so slightly in the dim light. This creature of the night stops in its tracks once it meets my eyes. The rest of it brings itself forwards and almost condenses itself as it snakes around. The coil stares at me and I'm able to spot these deep yellow eyes._

_Wiping away remaining tears, my hand reaches out. I almost touch the animal but hesitate halfway there. The snake-like creature bounds forwards and wraps itself around my arm. The pressure it places on me allows me to feel the muscles and tissue flex along as it goes up my arm. It's smooth to the touch. I keep my arm held out as to not alert it in any way, the rest of my body horrendously still as well. The head comes right up to my face._

_"My beloved. You'll come home soon." A raspy voice of a woman makes it's way out. I know exactly who that is. A fucking crazy lady who really wanted to keep me as some kind of trophy. She was on some stalker type shit._

_The snake abomination levels its head with my eyes, staying as still as possible. I hear a hiss before it lunges forwards with its jaw wide open. The sharp fangs come into view. My body jerks as it tries to get it away from me but it's too late then. I sink into darkness as I'm plunged into it._

A muffled scream makes it's way out while I hold my hands over my sweat-ridden face. I pant, feeling my chest collapse and expand rapidly to catch breath. There was something so creepily unsettling about the voice. It creeps around in my thoughts and I feel thin fingers wrap and grab the back of my neck. They feel so cold, adding pressure I never wished for. My days as a guard dog for my old triad make sure to never escape me. I was treated like a dog, grabbed by the back of the neck with a metal muzzle placed on me. The muzzle was in place to stop me from talking and it worked. But it didn't stop my lips from slightly parting and spitting white hot flames at whoever approached me. I can only guess that was a reason as to why they grabbed me from the back of my neck, making me tilt my head down or just throwing me into a direction. Or maybe they were just. Mean.   
The only words I can speak seem to be swears as I mutter a string of them every now and again. I search the bed for someone to help me calm but I don't find Lin anywhere near me. We both went our separate ways once work was over. Groaning as I lift myself off the bed, I decide to call her. I doubt she'd answer but a guy can dream. 

With shaky breaths, I dial up her number in the living room. My eyes suddenly close and I jolt my head to the side as I remember the snake lunging forwards at me. It rings for a little while until I hear the tone pick up.   
"Hello? Chief Beifong speaking." I run a hand through my hair. I couldn't be happier to hear her voice right now. 

"Hey... Linny." I take in a deep breath as my rocky breathing somewhat steadied itself. I seemingly cover it up well, smiling to myself at the sound of her voice. 

However, it seems to rat me out anyway.   
"Sweetheart, are you okay? Why are you calling this late?" I run the options by myself. Do I tell her I've called her this late, on a work day, just because I had a small bad dream? Is it serious enough to worry my girlfriend for? 

I feel like she doesn't need to know.   
"I— I just wanted to know if you got home safe. I woke up just five minutes ago and I couldn't stop thinking if you did or not." I blabber out an excuse but a sigh comes from the other end. I mentally hit myself. Even though I actually did forget to check in, it's definitely not what I wanted to bring up. With my excuse surrounding me thinking about her, I curse myself for obviously being so clingy that my subconscious makes that my excuse as well. 

"Are you sure that's it?" She doesn't even need to see me to realise that some things wrong. My breathing still being pretty unstable is probably a big hint. I hit the wall with the side of my fist, hoping nothing falls from the bookshelves. 

"Yeah. I should..." My forehead leans on the wall in front of me but I don't dare to close my eyes or even blink. I'm afraid to see that dingy cell again. "... get back to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow. Planning the first raid and everything." I'm not prepared to go back to sleep at all. It's times like these that I miss Zuko's tea. Either one of us could have a bad night and we'd go to have a late night chat over tea. Although he doesn't really talk about what's up, it was nice to calm down. On certain days were I couldn't even hold the cup because I shook so much, he'd protect me and hold me. Like a father taking care of his little boy. I was allowed to sleep in his chambers for the night for the extra support. Lin takes a small moment before she answers me. 

"I won't stop you then. See you soon, dear." Her words seem vaguely ominous as she drags them on. I can tell she's thinking about something but I'm not quite sure what it is. I don't want to prod as I just feel a tight hold of the night around me. I say another goodbye and hang up. A sigh escapes between slightly trembling lips. 

_Stupid . . ._

I've made my way back up into the bedroom, softly landing on my unmade bed. With Lin sometimes staying over, there's a dip in my mattress where she would lay. I find my hand grazing over the spot and I remember the feeling of her soft skin on mine. Even in more innocent settings where only her hand brushes mine when I hand her her coffee, I cherish it. Spirits know how long I have left here and how much time I get to spend with her. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I don't know how much time I've spent with my hand desperately trying to feel for the Chief somewhere in my bed and my eyes glued to the ceiling but, I know it's been enough time for me to feel so tired again. My body goes to sit itself up as I fight against eyelids threatening to close. I know if I sleep now then I'll see that damn snake again. I'll see the barely livable room I was made to stay in.  
" _I don't want to go back... I don't want to go back..._ " Mumbling on and on, I can only hope it's enough to keep me awake. Some non existent higher being better be listening to my pleas but I feel like I'm bargaining with that idea in my head. 

I barely acknowledge the door opening and when I do, I find strong arms wrapped around me. I grip on tightly as my lovers arms bring me back down. I'm nearly brought to tears as flashes of my dream enter and exit my mind all jumbled with my eyes shut seemingly forever. My breath catches in my throat.   
"I know you didn't say anything about me coming over but, I'm here now." Her voice comes through in silk. It delicately traces my ears with its sultry tones and does so well in helping me blink away unshed tears. Lin's hand goes through my hair, with her nails lightly scratching my head. Her movements are slow as she goes to sit on the bed. As she straddles me, she pulls the blanket over her shoulders and I'm carefully laid down with her laying on my front. The bonus pressure just makes it easier to control everything, it makes everything slow down. She kisses my forehead and I pull her even tighter to me. "You alright to sleep now, pumpkin?"

"I'll try."

——————◇◇◇——————

A small hum pierces through a missing dream. With a mess of fabric, someone crouches beside me with a hand on my forearm.   
"Honey...? Are you up yet?" The hand glides across my arm and interlocks itself with my hand to kiss the top of it. Lin gets my attention so easily, making me turn my head to look over at her. She immediately leans in for a kiss and I couldn't argue about it at all. 

"Mornin, sugar... has my alarm gone off yet?" Her free hand cups my cheek so delicately. A soft smile decorates her features and soon graces mine, mimicking how much care she holds in those green eyes. 

"Not yet. We've got a few minutes but I know it really stresses you to get to work late." She leads my hand to wrap around her shoulders so she can rest her head on the bed. 

I lean forwards to place my forehead on hers but only after I place a kiss there first.   
"Awe, Linny I— you're adorable." I almost slip up then and there. I'm not sure we're even along enough to start with the 'I love you's but at the same time, I've never had a relationship. Let alone one like this. 

I'm not sure if she catches my slip but, knowing how good of a detective she is, I think she does.   
"Mm. Come on, let's go and get ready then." She moves away from me. For once, I can't read her face. It's been a while since I couldn't do that. 

My hand pulls her back down while they're slowly loosening the grip it has on her shoulders.   
"We've got a little time.. could we cuddle? I mean, we've got a meeting with team avatar so I don't think we can have much time to—"

"Shh. Yes, we can. You don't have to give me a reason, sweetheart." She comes right back up, lifting the covers to start getting comfortable. I catch her lips and bring her in to kiss while she moves to rest on top of me again. 

"Thank you, sweetie." She places another kiss to my lips and then trailing down my neck before she tucks herself in the crook of my neck. I tangle a hand in her hair, combing through it as I try to smooth her hair down. 

——————◇◇◇——————

I sit next to her at the desk, her hand in mine as we both focus on our own work. We've spent some more quiet time together. I'm still a little freaked from the nightmare, which she's tried to ask about but I don't feel like I'm able to talk about it yet, and Lin's helped tons in simply holding me. Turning to look over at her, I go finish my work a little faster than I probably should have. It's pretty close to our original meeting time with team avatar and decide to take a small break before I see the peppy group. I squeeze her hand to get her attention.  
"I think I need a coffee before the meeting. Those kids really just beat me up." Of course I mean that figuratively but, I'm pretty sure the last meeting we had was where I overused so much of my bending. 

Lin hooks a finger under my chin and leads me down to her lips.   
"I'll come with you, it's been a while since I've also come with you to the coffee machine." My eyes basically turn to hearts when I'm this close to her. I watch her and scan her features, looking over her glasses and her perfect her face suits her. "What?"

I slide into a sly smile, planning to say exactly what's on my mind.   
"I don't think I ever told you how pretty you look with glasses on. I know they're only your reading glasses but I would absolutely love to bend you over this desk with those on." I'm buzzing at seeing how red I've been able to get her. Her eyes are wide. "Oh I would make sure you wouldn't be able to walk at all and—"

"Spirits, dear, we're at work and going for a meeting with team avatar. I don't want to have to deal with any of this—" Her hand motions to her lower half with her eyebrows up while her face tilts towards me. "—while in the room with nosey kids. But... I'll keep that in mind for our home life." She finally allows me to kiss her, her hand sliding to cup my cheek. 

"Absolute score." My eyes stay half lidded while I look down at her. She pecks my lips before coming away from me and taking her glasses off. I whine and hold onto her hand, bringing it close and only get a laugh from Lin. 

"Coffee, hun." I try to laugh and chuckle my way out of me just obviously being constantly horny and thinking about her. 

"Sorry, got sidetracked." She gets up and walks around the office while I try to hide any trace of my thoughts before getting up myself. 

She hums, holding the door open for me.   
"More than sidetracked. You've got one hell of an imagination." Lin taps my shoulder as I pass. 

"Mhm. Got me out of some rough spots before though." I entertain my thoughts for a little while as we make our way over to the coffee machine. We both keep a stone cold gate on our faces, Lin crosses her arms like usual. 

"You got any good stories to tell?" She speaks with a gruff tone in her voice.

I laugh softly, in response to her change in voice and remembering small things from different stories.   
"Oh definitely. I'll tell you about this one time I beat a whole gang out of spite." We both stand by the coffee machine, watching officers scatter as we stick by it. Lin starts on pouring out her cup and beginning to make her coffee. 

"I heard you tell Mako that one." She moves to the side and allows me to use the machine. I gladly make up my coffee, just wanting a drink. 

"There's more to it though, I promise it's funny." Lin lets out a hum, stirring her coffee before taking a sip. "Okay, so I'm trying to negotiate with them. But one guy just keeps interrupting me and speaking so much louder than me. So I do what any other young adult with too much stress on his hands does." I talk with my hands and kind of ignore the fact that I'm making coffee to explain the better details of my story. 

"And it's what? What do you do?" She looks at me over her cup while she continues to drink. Although she may keep that stiff Chief face, I see how her eyes sparkle when she looks at me. 

"I accuse him of still living in his mother's basement. The guy goes absolutely mental. He tries to defend himself, saying I've got a small dick and that I've never gotten any girl in my life to suck me off." I laugh to myself and I spot Lin snicker. My eyes are taken by a group entering but they soon flick back to Lin. I remember I have my coffee to make so I hurry up to get back into the office. 

_I think need glasses or maybe that was team avatar . . . who else wears bright colours like that?_

Lin had followed my eyes and I guess she spotted the group as well as she quickly turns.   
"Wow did that turn out well." Her eyebrow raises and it's almost as if the Chief of police is flirting with me at the coffee machine. 

"I know right. What's better is that when I interrogated him, he begged me to not tell anyone he still lived with his mother. Especially not Zuko." The story, personally, never gets old so I laugh every time. I take my coffee and sigh once I take a sip. 

I feel her elbow my side before taking off in the direction of her office, making me follow.   
"I've got a few stupid criminal stories to tell you. Maybe I'll tell you a few after the meeting. Speaking of the meeting, did you see team avatar come in or am I going crazy?" Her voice lowers a little as she speaks about the group that had come in previously. 

"No, yeah, I saw them too. I don't..." I look around a little but notice a whole ball up mass of heat under a desk. I walk over with a questionable look from Lin, knocking on the desk. "Get up. No point hiding under a desk all huddled together from an expert firebender."

A moment passes before team avatar starts to rise out from under the desk one by one. Bolin comes out first and leans on the desk forwards. Lin comes up by my side, standing pretty close to me.   
"Oh hey there sir, man... guy? Nice to see you... dude." Mako punches him in the arm, hissing out something at his brother. 

"Cut the crap. Why were you hiding under the damn desk together? We have a meeting right now." Lin pipes up from next to me. She almost crosses her arms over her chest but just takes a sip from her cup while glaring at the group in front of us. 

"That's a, uh, easy—! Explanation!" Korra does her best but she's plenty too impulsive. It almost makes me break out of the slight glare I've scrunched my face up into. 

"No it's not, Korra. Let's just. Go in." Asami, the team's only brain cell. 

"Hm." Lin turns on her heel real fancy and heads into her office. Me and the group are made to follow. With a flick of her wrist, the door is closed and locked in preparation for our meeting. "So, what info have you got?" We both sit in our seats. Korra and Asami share a look and I feel my glare get tighter on my face. 

"Well we were tipped off that they have a hideout near the docks, by the— uh— hotel... there." Mako fiddles with his thumbs while looking from me to Lin constantly. 

"What?" I almost forgot what Lin's stricter Chief voice sounded like after hearing her reassure me or compliment me all the time. 

"Nothing." Mako goes completely red in the face. It's almost as if he sinks into himself and I _almost_ feel sorry for him. 

Lin puts her coffee down to cross her arms completely. I can tell she refrained from slamming the cup down with how she grinds her teeth.   
"No, you're staring at us both. What is it?"

Korra jumps in to save him.   
"I think Mako's just freaked out that, uh, you both? Look? So? Similar?" But it doesn't come out right. 

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" I genuinely don't know what Korra is talking about. I almost end up crossing my arms like Lin does, choosing to glare at them as I drink my coffee in a silent, but secret, confusion. 

"Well you both..."

"Are scary."

"And angry most of the time."

"Yeah. Pretty menacing."

"Okay, now you're just insulting us." I grumble, looking over quickly to see how mad Lin looks at the poor kids. I place my hand under the table and on Lin's knee. Moving my thumb over her trousers, I see her take in a deep breath to hopefully calm herself down. 

"No but— just a minute ago you were both laughing at the coffee machine. It's like you're..." Asami is no longer dubbed the only brain cell, it seems its shared between her and Korra as Korra taps her elbow to stop her from talking. 

"We're what?" Lin busts out her death glare, her voice level but still strict. I'm just glad I seemed to help her calm down somewhat. 

"Dating." I find myself gripping Lin's knee tighter when the word leaves Asami's mouth. I'm one hundred percent sure I'm very not ready to announce that I'm in a committed relationship. Maybe commitment issues should be talked over with some therapist when I get over to the Fire Nation. 

A light growl comes from my lover. She knows I'm now uncomfortable with how much pressure I release off her leg when I take a drink and breathe out.   
"And why should my private life concern any of you? Even if we were, which we are not - we are colleagues, I don't think you lot would be the ones to be told." Lin cuts out at the group, almost raising her voice but a squeeze from my hand reminds her to keep her voice down. 

Korra saves her friends from being chewed out by the Chief.   
"Alright... sorry we brought it up. Can we get on with the meeting?" I spot Asami playing with Korra's hand but I shrug it off. I don't know much about women but the seem like good friends. 

My thumb traces over Lin's leg again. She takes in a breath and a moment to herself with a sip from her coffee. Her shoulders relax before starting on a briefing.   
"Yes. So I'm thinking of—"

——————◇◇◇——————

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School's pretty stressful so I'm definitely going to be writing a bunch 😔✌  
> Also!! Give me some ideas for some criminal stories that you think reader has gone through,, I'm having a little trouble coming up with fun stories of their past aside from base things orz


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